Drown in Darkness
by Oceanbreeze7
Summary: When Mephiles tricks Shadow into workng with him to destroy all humans, will he find out the lies he's heard? Or destroy all that once tried to harm him? Sonic and the gang incuded.
1. The scepter

**Note: I'm not very knowledgeable of the Sonic world, i saw a few walkthroughs on YouTube, i hope i'm good enough for you guys though.**

**Also, Mephiles wont come in for a few chapters, he'll try trickery first

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It was a nice spring day. The air was cool but slightly humid giving the illusion of warmth. The sky itself was a fine shade of blue with cotton clouds scattered over the area. The grass was full grown and curved up to the sun, its life source.

Shadow was sitting on top of a rock, just on the bank of a small lake. Its surface was clear as glass and he could spot every little minnow or crawfish that lived on the bottom. The rock he sat on was a nice large marble hunk. Perfects smooth but with enough of a flat surface to sit on.

Shadow looked up, he spotted a blue blur racing over the grass, but not bending a single one.

"Hey Faker!" Sonic shouted skidding to a stop with a large grin on his face. Shadow rose to fill height and jumped down the two meters he was above Sonic on the rock.

"Sonic." Shadow said, giving him a slight jerk of the head. Sonic rolled his eyes and shifted his weight, obviously aching to escape and run.

"Tails said that he needs your help for something. He says that he found some sort of artifact but he's clueless on what it is."

Shadow sighed but nodded anyways, activating his hover shoes with habit. Sonic gave a cheesy grin and sped off. Shadow followed.

Without realizing it, soon the two were racing; Sonic was in full speed as well as Shadow. It was involuntary as the counterparts took on any attempt of a challenge.

The trees blew the one way, almost reaching to the area that the two hedgehogs were beforehand.

Shadow jumped through a cut in a tree landing quickly on the other side, Sonic ran around it but caught up easily.

"It's up here on the left!" Sonic shouted, jumping over a log and into a tiny clearing. Shadow followed swiftly after. They slowed to a stop and Shadow silently noted the house, more like mansion.

It was around three stories, a nice white siding with at least three chimneys on the top. A little step up led to the front door, but a brick path around the side led to a small slope that showed a work studio underneath the base.

They walked around the house and down the little slope. Tails was underneath on a rolling plank working on his most prized possession, the Tornado. He smiled and rolled out from under it, whipping away some sweat on his brow.

"Hey Guys! Glad you're here!" Shadow internally winced at the 'peppy' voice. He and Sonic followed Tails into a small room with many scanners on the left side.

"Two things actually. I'm thinking on making a teleportation device kinda like your 'Chaos Control' but I don't know the main powers or science behind it."

Shadow nodded and Tails smiled, Shadow couldn't stand Tails' puppy dog face.

"Okay, this is the other. A few weeks ago Knuckles found it in some old ruins. He doesn't know what it is, so he brought it to me to scan….I kinda touched it and-"

"Thought immediately of me?" Shadow presumed looking at the strange artifact. Tails blushed and rubbed the back of his neck as Sonic chuckled. Shadow looked at the artifact, his ears buzzing and some invisible force almost forcing him to grab it. He _craved_ it.

"Let me see it." Shadow commanded. Tails did so without question, a mechanical arm grabbing the smooth surface and bringing it down to Shadow's height.

It had a metal work that looked almost like wings made of a strange cool gem Shadow did not know. The wings connected to what looked like the hilt to a sword, with a large purple gem in the center, blank and empty. The hilt spread into a vine like line which twisted down and around a clear hollow tube in a spiral. It was about a foot long.

"What is it?" Sonic asked him, Shadow did not respond but took it gently in his hand, a cold chill ran through his body, it seemed like Déjà- vou. Shadow had seen this before…._somewhere…._

He looked at it, eyes focused on the single gem in the center, the cuts, the depth, and the…faints _spark_ of light. Of the red light that seemed to pulse through the gem as he made contact. A faint whisper of a name sparked inside his mind. _…..Mephiles…_Shadow blinked, reaching with his mind to the dark and haunting voice, but instead a searing and burning voice took its place…_….Iblis….Solaris…..Project Solari…ssssss_.

Shadow blinked, looking down at the scepter, it was blank again. Nothing in it, the two other people in the room were looking at Shadow intently.

"Tails look up Project Solaris." Shadow commanded, Tails was slightly surprised, but quickly typed that in, looking up reports. Shadow wanted to know what the burning hissing voice meant. The haunting on could wait.

Tails gasped, looking wide at the screen and the rough pictures of a large fire in a tube.

"What is it little buddy?" Sonic asked walking over. Shadow still had his eyes focused on the scepter.

"Project Solaris….named after the sun god. Project Solaris was created to control the basic fields of Time and space using a flame named the 'flame of hope' otherwise known as-"Tails left off. He was reading off of an old journal entry. It was a picture, but at that point the book was burned, faint words were seen but nothing readable.

"A flame of hope?" Sonic asked, looking intently at the screen.

"No." Shadow said, as a faint spark of annoyance seemed to radiate from the….burning voice…

Tails and Sonic looked over, slightly confused at Shadow's boldness of his wording. Shadow knew it wasn't a flame, it couldn't be.

"It's Iblis, the fire of Destruction." Shadow said bitterly, clenching his fist against the cool metal. It fit the burning voice, Destruction. Sonic looked surprised but Tails was searching more databases, finding nothing.

"A fire of Destruction?" Sonic echoed, the faint beeping of machinery was the only sound.

_…..I come…for….you Shadow…._ Shadow's eyes widened a fraction as a chill ran through him. The cold haunting voice was back, the faint red flared and Shadow exhaled looking up. Tails and Sonic were still looking at the computer. This time looking for Iblis.

"Hey Tails, can I take this home? Scan it or look in my records?" Shadow asked, a slight dark tone in his voice. It was his 'persuading' voice.

He could easily see a faint shiver on Tails, he hid it well however.

"Y-Yeah, sure." He stuttered and Shadow gave a curt nod before turning away.

"For the teleporting pad, Chaos Control speeds you up; it moves you through the air or any surface. It speeds up your molecular build up." He stated, before turning and running back towards his home.

He chuckled slightly after being clear of the house. He wouldn't forget the look on Tails face.


	2. Dreams of Fire

**I hope i'm getting all the words right, tell me if i'm not.**

**again, sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I'm only 12 people!**

Shadow approached his home carefully. His home was unique.

He wanted it to be not noticeable, and so it wasn't. It was built into a cliff face, the stone being his walls. The door was under a curtain of Lichen blocking the door from unwanted eyes. Then the door went upwards until it opened up into a large warm cavern he had made. A huge glass wall like on the ARK peeked out from a natural cave. Lights were built into the rock by Shadow himself, so where ever he went it was lit.

Shadow had a few features like he was used to on the ARK; he had even traveled up there to get the old bed he had slept on, as well as a few other personal things.

He was sitting in his room, nice black walls with crimson splashes reaching up from the floor. A large window faced out of the cliff side showing the valley far below. He was sitting on his large bed, just looking at the scepter that rested on the foot of his bed. It did nothing, but Shadow could almost _feel_ a presence there. He carefully picked it up and traced the stone on it again. Nothing happened, like the voice had vanished or was too weak to do anything.

"What are you?" Shadow whispered, tracing it again, the stone flared and Shadow gasped as the coldness was painful. It felt like his limbs were shattering with the cold that flood through his body.

Shadow groaned, stiffly dropping the scepter, but the feeling did not cease. He dropped back, lying still on his bed panting, waiting as he closed his eyes.

A few random images flashed through his mind, none back, mostly disturbing however.

_A thick black fog creeping over the ground, underneath large red fire….._Shadow gasped, almost feeling the heat himself.

_A dark scepter dragging him away, the fog almost screaming in agony as it ripped him and forced him inside_. Shadow groaned loudly as the coldness grew.

However, the pain vanished, and Shadow opened his eyes, he gasped.

It wasn't just a slight vision, no, it looked like a hologram. Like he was actually inside a large cavern.

The walls were black, and magma sat under the surface, moving sluggishly under what seemed like clear glass. The floor was burned and thick with Ash. More shockingly, there, in the center of the rock was a diamond like capsule. It was opened, and a lone figure stood. Its hands and legs restrained in a strange metal cuff. The head down and color barely recognizable, but Shadow did. Something that almost made his heart stop was the metal rod, pierced through its heart. Obviously manmade.

Shadow….._was dead_….

He stared at his body, limp and unmoving. Staked to the ground as it might become alive again and kill those who opposed him. The mere thought made the _real_ Shadow shiver.

"Brutal isn't it?" A dark yet haunting voice said, Shadow spun and raised his eyebrows surprised. Standing on a rocky outcrop above was a….copy he should say. It had his build; all it needed to recognize Shadow except it had chilling grey markings where Shadow's were red and glowing reptile eyes instead of Shadow's crimson ones.

The figure turned, and jumped onto the blackened ground, looking at the real Shadow as it approached.

"The way Humans turn to one another to take the blame." He said again, Shadow noted he didn't have a mouth. The figure turned his gaze onto the dead corpse and sighed, at least, Shadow _thought_ he did.

"The humans never honored you power." He said again, Shadow almost shivered, in the background the magma erupted, spraying the walls before falling back to the ground, emphasizing the _things_ point.

"They feared it. And you know what humans do when they see something as a threat?" It left the ending open, ready for Shadow to answer. Shadow looked back at his corpse.

"They destroy it." Shadow ended, his voice seeming almost as haunted as the figures. The figure gave a small nod almost and turned back to look at Shadow, his green eyes slightly frightening.

"I am Mephiles the Dark, master of destruction." He stated, looking directly at Shadow.

Anybody who would have seen this would have to blink twice. At first glance, identical twins or maybe a mirror would have to be present, and then you would feel the aura. The aura of power, pure frightening power. But nobody was here; only the dead corpse was, eternally youthful, always looking like he had just died.

"I know what the humans did Shadow, they killed Maria, and they tried to kill you." He stated again, frightening yet almost sadistic.

"And in time, they will, or should I say have."

It was silent again; Shadow was burning with fury yet pain. The mere mention of Maria and Shadow was as weak as a snail on the inside.

"You're inside the scepter." Shadow said, his eyes widening. Mephiles clenched his fist, eyes blazing.

"A part of me is inside the scepter. We are alike Shadow. Split from the ones we are closest to. You from Maria, me from Iblis."

Shadow blinked, surprised at the sudden topic change.

"How am I alike to you? And aren't you a part of Iblis?" How did he know this? Shadow shrugged it off quickly.

"I am the counterpart of Iblis. Iblis is the light; I am the shadow from it. If you blow out the light, the shadow is still there. Isn't that right Shadow?"

Mephiles seemed to circle Shadow, his voice radiating from every crevice of his mind and room around. Yet Mephiles stayed in his line of sight.

"Maria was your light, a star might I say? You were the darkness that surrounded her, comforting her. Yet the star ended, the light vanished."

Mephiles seemed to absorb the light from high above, bringing the darkness around to the ground, the Magma below making thick red designs dance across Shadow's fur.

"Tell me Shadow, what happens after a star dies?" Mephiles questioned, pressing on the matter. Shadow's eyes narrowed slightly.

"A black hole forms." Mephiles seemed to smile as he said those words. Shadow refusing to make a sound. He gave a curt nod and took a few steps back.

"We are alike Shadow. Yet we are slightly different. I am ready to end the ones that dare try to stop us, and the ones close to us, but are you?"

The ground seemed to melt to purple goo, and evaporate in smoke, taking Mephiles with it. Shadow looked around and the smoke formed an arch, which a simple peaceful body laid under it. Dressed in a long blue gown and a blue headband. What would be blue eyes under her eyelids, and her face turned up in a peaceful smile. Maria had her hair spread out, like she had fallen or fell over laughing like she had so many times before.

_'To stop the ones who dare try to stop us and the ones close to us'_

_'End the ones who wish to kill the ones we love'_

_'Who killed Maria'_

Shadow blinked awake, not even realizing that he had fallen asleep. He was panting slightly, a small bit of sweat was over his body fur, and his ears were back in a defense stance. He chuckled softly realizing that nobody was there and sat up.

Then he froze. At the foot of the bed, there was a scepter, but it was slightly different. Where it was once clear, it was now filled with a dark murky substance like the mist he had seen.

And the jewel. It now pulsed slightly with a pinkish color and blood red on the purple surface.

It hadn't been just a dream.


	3. What's wanted or What's needed

"You okay Shads?" Sonic bugged him for almost the thirteenth time this hour. Shadow was almost in pain now by this persistent questioning. Shadow however wasn't looking the best he had before. He had slight bags under his eyes which didn't seem so bright. He was tired, not able to get back to sleep after seeing his dead body. And there was something else…..he felt a presence. Like having a wall in his mind, he could feel it, just couldn't get past it.

"I'm fine." He snapped back, Sonic recoiled slightly but shook his head, as if that cleared his mind.

Shadow eyed Sonic, he had never gotten along well with the hedgehog, was _he_ the one who had killed him? It would seem reasonable, always wanting to protect and assist humans.

_'No, he wouldn't'_ Sonic thought bitterly.

"Who wouldn't?" Sonic put in, tilting his head slightly.

_'Stupid!' _Shadow scolded for saying that out loud.

"Nothing, butt out." Shadow snapped back, ignoring the eye roll he got from Sonic.

Knuckles had contacted him. Apparently something was going wrong with the Master Emerald and Sonic reported a few problems with the Chaos Emeralds. They both quickly used their Emeralds they always had with them and flashed up onto the island. The closer they were the less energy they used, a small trick they had learned.

The lush landscape appeared before the two, a nice clay path led to the old shrine, Shadow was sure of it. Without waiting for Sonic to catch his breath, as he was not used to teleporting, Shadow walked. Moving up the old path silently and ignoring Sonics 'humph' of annoyance.

"So Shads, what do you think is messing with the Emeralds?" Sonic asked, Shadow growled at his horrible nickname.

"_I_ think Eggman is trying to get them again, but wouldn't it affect them if he got them?" Sonic continued.

Shadow quickly ignored the blue hedgehog and walked up the steps where Knuckles was waiting.

"Hey Knucks! What have ya' been up to?" Sonic grinned. Shadow remained impassive.

Knuckles sighed slightly but rolled his eyes.

"Hey Sonic, Shadow, glad you could come." Sonic grinned, Shadow nodded slightly and Knuckles turned, walking into the temple.

"As you can see, the two chaos Emeralds here aren't acting right."

Shadow nodded slightly, taking in the weakly pulsing appearance.

Knuckles only had two Chaos Emeralds here as well as the Master Emerald. The dark blue one was given to Sonic. The yellow one given to tails. The white one was stolen by Eggman a while back. The purple one was given to Rouge after she recovered it on a rescue mission, Sonic let her keep it.

Knuckles had the jade green and the light teal Emerald.

Leaving the crimson Emerald to Shadow.

Shadow preferred the crimson jewel. It was almost invisible when he tucked it into his quills, blending in with his quills. It seemed to work better with him, compared to the others.

The Master Emerald was normally a nice healthy shade of green, but now it seemed to be slightly glowing, before a slight dark tinge made it die down and start all over again.

"Whoa…..it's also like in mine." Sonic stated Shadow looked over; indeed his dark blue Emerald seemed to be fighting a dark shadow that was barely there.

Shadow gently took out his own and frowned.

His Emerald was a clear red, no shadow or mist at all.

"Mine has nothing in it." Shadow said, at the sound of his voice the dark strings twirled away and vanished, bringing a slight coldness to Shadow. He said nothing.

"It's gone!" Knuckles exclaimed surprised, Shadow was frowning still, looking into his gem.

"Mine had no dark substance in it to begin with." Shadow said, the other two looked puzzled and at the Master Emerald. Even the dark substance in _that_ had vanished, wiggling its way to Shadow.

"You think Eggman is having this problem also?" Sonic asked Knuckles, who shrugged in response.

"Watch the Emeralds. Tell me if the tar thing comes back." Knuckles commanded before Shadow turned. Shadow gave a slight nod and sped off, he needed time to think.

"Hey! What was that for?" Sonic shouted, catching up to him. Shadow said nothing but continued running, or skating. He quickly skidded to a stop and muttered under his breath 'Chaos Control' vanishing just before Sonic.

The two of them landed on the surface, in the city square. They were leaning against a building looking over a small fountain a few birds bathed in.

"Why did you run off like that?" Shadow's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I needed some personal space; sadly it seems you do not understand the concept."

Sonic frowned, opining his mouth to complain, right as loud clacking noises went off.

Shadow and Sonic looked up; a raccoon with a black bandana covering its eyes was racing away. A large smirk on its face as it dashed away with a large bag of jewelry.

Sonic was about to run out and stop him, when Shadow put his arm in front of him.

"Shads, wha?" Sonic protested, but fell silent when he saw five large machines racing after the poor animal.

Shadow felt colder, his eyes blazing with fury as he spotted the logo on the side.

"G.U.N." He muttered, slashing his arm down to his side.

"Meddling with your work." Shadow noted. Sonic had his eyes narrowed slightly. He disliked G.U.N. a little also, trying to steal his spotlight all the time…

Shadow looked down, his and Sonic's shadow easily seen, but there was something else. Shadow's shadows' finger was twitching slightly, Shadow watched silently, as the shadow curled its hand into a fist. Shadow looked down; _his_ hand wasn't in a fist…._what_ in the _world…._

"Come on….let's get the bandit." Sonic grinned, jumping onto a nearby building and racing across the roofing.

Shadow followed soon after, preferring his own teleportation. They raced along the rooftops, easily spotting the raccoon that was almost being hit by the robots.

Sonic grinned and jumped down, tackling the raccoon to the ground, the machines skidded to a halt, narrowly missing the blue blur with their trampling feet.

The men in the machines couldn't hide their anger and annoyance as the hedgehog saved the day …._again_….

They spared looking up, on top of a nearby building a black hedgehog stood, calculating and watching the not needed pursuit.

Agent Dylan smirked inside his machine.

"We have visual on the black hedgehog known as 'Shadow'" He stated into his built in radio. The line fizzled slightly before headquarters responded back.

"Do_ not_ engage. The public will not allow an open act of aggression, do _not_ engage." The line sparked, Dylan nodded and cut the line, simply watching the hedgehog.

Shadow stood on the building. He saw the man in the main machine speak; he knew he was asking if he should attack. But he wouldn't, they would just back away like the cowards they were.

_'End the ones who wish to kill the ones we love'_

The simple phrase echoed through Shadows head, it was Mephiles's voice, but Shadows dark one easily outmatched it with his insane chanting of anger.

_'They killed them all!' _

_'They destroyed the ARK!'_

_'They kidnapped me!'_

_'They killed Maria!'_

Shadow inhaled hard on the outside, his eyes shone with bloodlust, but he couldn't. In a way that mysterious figure Mephiles was right, they _did_ deserve far worse, but who was he to complain. He saved the earth; at least he wasn't the outcast anymore. Only the feared one.

_"They…killed…them all….."_ A cold but slightly stronger voice whispered. Shadow gasped, eyes still trained on the machines.

"Mephiles…..how are you speaking to me?" Shadow whispered, he heard a ghostly chuckle.

_"I…am part…of you, Shadow…..we are….one…."_ Now _that_ got Shadow's attention.

"What do you mean?"

_"I am….in you…now, fulfill…..your want…..**kill them….."**_Shadow looked down. His shadow…it held two fists as his own were straight. Mephiles….was _in_ his shadow….

He wanted to, he _craved_ to, to give in to revenge and murder the ones that killed Maria…he _needed_ to…

"Hey Shads, you okay?" Sonic asked, zipping over, concern on his face. Shadow shook his head, scattering his dark thoughts.

"I'm fine, let's go."


	4. The Shattered Seal

Shadow sat at his work station, a little lab he had inside his home.

The lights were on high and the scepter in the center of a table. He was checking it for any type of Chaos Energy. Shadow was certain Mephiles was inside the thing.

Shadow growled, he scanned the thing at least fifteen times! Nothing!

"What _are_ you?" Shadow muttered, banging his fists on the control panel. The scepter glittered slightly, almost mockingly.

"Speak to me Mephiles." Shadow whispered, taking the scepter off of the scanner, reaching for even an inch of the cold. It was not there.

Shadow shot up; maybe a Chaos Emerald would make him speak.

Shadow gripped the emerald in his left hand and the scepter in his right, focusing on making a tiny stream of energy flow into the scepter.

_"Shad-ow?" _Mephiles whispered, Shadow smirked with triumph.

"Mephiles, how are you in here? Why can I only see you in my dreams?"

Shadow asked aloud, he fed it a little more energy, but not a crazy amount. The gem in the center glowed with a red light.

_"I….am the counterpart…..I was…..sealed away…..I…..am growing…..but need rest…"_

It whispered, Shadow frowned again, and then tilted his head slightly, focusing deeply on the gem.

"Were you the smoke in the Chaos Emeralds?" The gem seemed to laugh, and pulsed again.

_"I….needed….power, and that's…the closest…"_ Mephiles whispered again. Shadow looked down. He could be in his shadow!

"Have you been inside my shadow?" He half demanded, half questioned. The gem was silent. The mist inside seemed to squirm and twist.

_"Yess….I needed…strength…..I can get….my own….if you…break…..the scepter."_ Mephiles whispered again. Shadow looked down at it. It was finely made, but Shadow could see Mephiles's point. There _was_ no crack, or a simple weakness.

"Will you help me if I help you?" Shadow questioned, holding the scepter tightly.

_"It's…..a promi-sssse."_ He whispered again. Shadow took a deep breath and held the scepter high above. He couldn't believe he was doing this, helping people, or things, was Sonic's job.

With a slight hesitation, Shadow threw the scepter with his might against the nearby wall, it crumpled to the floor. A fine thin crack growing on the one side. The mist focused into a single dark strand, which pressed on the crack, finally shattering it.

And the mist escaped.

It twisted in forms, building up into a faint hedgehog shape, green slit like eyes looked up from the mist.

"Mephiles?" Shadow asked, uncertain, the eyes blinked, before the mist swirled, vanishing into Shadow's shadow.

_"I am here Shadow…"_

Shadow gasped, feeling the cold pressing on him, he inhaled sharply.

"You're in my shadow? How long will you be there?"

Shadow heard a faint voice in his head, like Mephiles was speaking into his mind. Shadow wouldn't put it past him.

_"I….grow off….of your, extra energy….I shall vanish, when I need to…..I shall gain at night, be with you by day…."_

Shadow nodded, exhaling and turned, walking up to his bedroom, he spotted a dark shadow like creature vanish under the door, and the lack of coldness.

Mephiles had gone to 'hunt'.


	5. Danger to the Present and Future

**I think 2 chapters makes up for the short stubby thing before this. Enjoy.**

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Shadow was currently lounging around in the group's house. Apparently, Sonic had called a meeting and invited him as well as many other friends.

"So, not to be mean, but why are we here?" Rouge asked, Amy rolled her eyes.

"Knuckles said that Tikal talked to him a few days ago." Sonic said, motioning to Knuckles who was sitting on an armchair. Shadow watched, he still wasn't used to having Mephiles with him. It was a chill, like always being cold, he also wasn't used to the fact that occasionally his shadow would move without him moving.

"Anyways, Tikal told me that a few visitors would appear in a few days time." Knuckled put in, Cream tilted her head.

"Did she say who?" Cream asked, Shadow drew his focus back.

"No, she only said that these beings were, 'familiar with the time stream' whatever that means."

Shadow tensed slightly, just as Mephiles did also. They could be a threat.

"Anyways, the president asked us to help him out again. Apparently that one Raccoon that robbed the jewelry store escaped and is sabotaging a few G.U.N. sites." Tails said, looking up from a strange modifying device fit with his Chaos Emerald. Shadow clenched his fist. To help out G.U.N…

"The President recommended that Sonic, Shadow and I go-"

"What?" Shadow demanded eyes bloody red.

"They expect _me_ to help_ G.U.N?"_ Shadow hissed, voice extremely dark, Amy frowned as did a few others.

"Well they'll get off your back for a while." Rouge offered, Shadow huffed.

"No, they're just looking for an excuse to put me in jail."

_"Shadow…..Keep your friends close….your enemies closer." _Mephiles spoke inside his head, Mephiles was stronger. Even available for full conversations at times. Shadow gave a hint of a nod towards the darkest corner of the room; he knew Mephiles would be there.

"Please Shads?" Sonic begged, giving huge puppy dog eyes that revolted Shadow beyond ends.

"Fine, just stop doing that." Sonic started to do a victory dance and Shadow sighed.

"When will we head out?" Sonic frowned and looked at Tails who had his computer out.

"He said that tomorrow we should." Shadow nodded and rose; Cream looked up and tilted her head.

"Do you want to stay? We have more than enough room." Her Chao Cheese gladly peeped to emphasize the point; Shadow shook his head, heading towards the door.

"I'll be here at noon." Was all he said before vanishing into the darkness, already running to his home.

(_Dream)_

Shadow walked through the black earth, avoiding all the dead trees with branches reaching up to the sky like arms. He made his way to the center, where a three light rings circled around a black mass. The area inside the rings had long string thick branches of purplish crystals that circled a shapeless fog inside.

"Mephiles." Shadow said simply, looking at the black fog. It was darker and thicker than ever.

_"Ah, hello Shadow."_

"You seem stronger." Shadow was always straight to the point, Mephiles liked him for that.

_"Yes, by little time I shall hold a form of my own." _The mist swirled holding a rough copy of Shadow. It never ceased to amaze Shadow how he could create such perfect copies.

_"Shall yours be adequate? Or Perhaps another?"_ Within an instant, a rough outline of Rouge sat before him, before shifting into an outline of Tails.

"It doesn't matter to me." Shadow said and the fog melted back to its original mist like shape. To be honest, the Rouge outline was just creepy. The mist swirled, pulsing with dark power.

_"You seem troubled. You always do." _The mist whispered. Shadow sighed and closed his eyes. He never could hide anything from Mephiles.

"You know all, am I right?" Shadow asked, eyes still closed. The mist swirled.

_"Correct." _Shadow gripped a diamond hard purple strand of crystal that branched off of the dome.

"Then you know who kills me."

It wasn't a question, a mere statement. But you know what they say. Actions speak louder than words.

The mist froze, melting into a dark shape, Shadows outline again, and it was looking to the floor.

_"_There_ are an unlimited amount of timelines. They shift with every small decision you make Shadow. It is not clear who it is that commits your death."_

Shadow opened his eyes; they were blazing with red fury.

"Who has it been most likely in the past?" Again, more silence, until Shadow turned, looking at the Mephiles figure standing before him.

_"…..Humans…..G.U.N., the secret society, A war party, it changes, but it seems G.U.N. always has a part in it."_

Shadow clenched his fist and jaw, eyes blazing with pure hatred.

_"Always."_ Shadow turned, and let out a breath, he had been charging up a Chaos Spear without even realizing it.

_"They shall not this time Shadow. I see your fate and no death is in my eye."_

Shadow let out a breath, none could try to stop him then, they would fail.

"When?" He said, looking directly into the mist, it seemed to chuckle then swirled again.

_"Soon, so very soon…."_

Shadow turned, but not after sending a half nod to Mephiles, after all. Mephiles had helped him more than anybody else ever could.

Shadow was becoming _very_ powerful.

_Knock, Knock!_ Tails jumped to his feet, rushing over to get the door.

"Hey Shadow!" He beamed eyes wide. Shadow was standing in the doorway, his emerald already packed tightly in his quills.

"Are we ready to leave?" Shadow simply asked, Tails nodded and vanished for a moment, then appeared again with Sonic.

"Ready to go Shads?" Sonic grinned, Shadow sighed and they made their way to a built in Runway.

"Okay, climb on guys; it'll be roughly a twenty minute flight." Tails commanded jumping into the cockpit. Shadow took a spot on the right wing, Sonic on the left.

They left the ground quickly; Sonic instantly shut up and viewed the world like he always did. Shadow looked out also, but really he was searching with his mind, yes. The cold was there, he had grown so used to it now that he had to look if it was there. Apparently Mephiles still depended on him somewhat.

"Okay guys! We're landing!" Tails called from an intercom on both sides. Sonic and Shadow both nodded and waited for the descent. Shadow looked into the nearby forest, inhaling strongly.

'_This will be interesting'_ Shadow thought, already making his way into the woods.

_Meanwhile…_

Knuckles was sitting around, lounging on a rock pillar and watching the Master Emerald as well as the other two. He sighed, repositioning himself, before freezing.

The Master Emerald's glow was brighter, before it shone a thin white beam, which spaced out into a saucer like effect, creating a portal.

Knuckles braced himself, fists high and ready, before blinking surprised. Two forms landed softly. One did a flip before landing softly, the other just jumped through.

The one that did a flip looked around, her slightly purple fur ruffled as she scanned the ground with her large golden cat eyes. The jewel on her forehead glittered softly against her fur, matching her shoes.

The other, clearly a hedgehog huffed, looking around himself. His silver fur stayed the same as he looked a battle ready stance. Golden eyes scanned the ground; he wore golden cuffs with strange blue symbols written into his fur around his wrist.

"You! What and how did you get here?" Knuckles shouted, jumping down from his post. The female cat twisted and jumped into a battle stance, same as the Silver Hedgehog, but soon both of their eyes widened in recognition.

"Knuckles!" the hedgehog shouted in surprise and recognition. Knuckles hesitated.

"Do I know you?" He called back, fists ready; the cat looked between the two.

"Not anymore….your mind was whipped in the events of a timeline, my ability blocked both of me and my companions mind." The silver hedgehog called, _now_ Knuckles was confused.

"What?" He asked again, between the two animals and the Emeralds.

"Where are our manners?" The cat said, her eyes flicking over to her companion.

"I am Blaze the Cat, and this is Silver the Hedgehog."


	6. Mephiles's Foe's

**I think i'm getting the facts right, thanks to the what? 3 REVIEWERS?**

**I respect you three reviewers, i really do, but can SOMEBODY PLEASE review? I dont care if its like, 'woa is vry gd' or if its like 'i assume that you put alot of time and patience into your work a-' dude, i really dont care. I just want to know that somebody actually likes this or wants me to coninue writing.**

Shadow and Sonic sped through the forest, Tails following in the skies. Apparently the Raccoon was a few miles due north of here. Shadow was silent, racing so fast he would be there in seconds. Sonic was also, understanding that silence was the key here.

Shadow flipped up into a tree, Sonic doing the same in another next to him. They spotted the Raccoon easily, sitting on bags of what seemed like money possibly from many different banks.

The Raccoon had on old western clothes as well as matching boots and hat. Shadow simply watched as the animal played with a necklace he had. That is, before reaching into his bag and pulling out a few more things to play with.

"Hey bub! I don't think those are yours!" Sonic shouted, landing quickly, the Raccoon yelped and flipped over, pulling out long wrist knives, obviously stolen.

"Think you can stop me?" He hissed, obviously younger then the two.

"I know I can!" Sonic shouted charging in and sending many attacks. Shadow watched as Sonic punched and kicked the Raccoon, but apparently the Raccoon got its facts right.

The Raccoon was one good back talker.

Sonic punched and missed slightly.

"You call that a punch? No wonder the town is half destroyed!" Sonic's cheek twitched and he jumped back in. Within twenty minutes, Sonic was throwing blind punches of anger and annoyance. The Raccoon rolled and slashed down, cleanly slicing through Sonic's right glove.

"Hey!" Sonic shouted annoyed, before the Raccoon kicked him away.

"You're the town's savior? Humans sure are desperate nowadays huh?" Sonic was growling practically.

"Chaos Spear." Shadow said simply, the Raccoon went flying into a tree, yelping as he collided hard with the bark.

"I could have taken him!" Sonic shouted, you could almost see the red of fury in his eyes.

"You are blinded by your emotions." Shadow stated before grabbing the Raccoon and throwing him against the ground again.

"So you're telling us that a dark monster is trapped inside this timeline feeding off of somebody's energy ready to strike at any minute?" Amy asked, tilting her head slightly. Blaze nodded, holding her cup of tea. The rest of the group was here, Knuckles, Rouge, Amy, Cream, everybody. Silver and Blaze had covered the concept of why they couldn't remember them.

"Yes, Mephiles is growing stronger we think. He's trapped inside a scepter, but we are unaware of his location." Silver stated, looking disappointed. Cream got to her feet.

"Maybe we can look in Tails' database in case he has seen the scepter." She nodded and started down the stairs to his workspace.

The others followed, Blaze next to Cream, but Silver in the back, chatting to Knuckles and Rouge.

"What does this scepter look like?" Rouge asked, her eyes gleaming, Silver winced slightly.

"It has a large purple gem in the center of what looks like an upside-down sword hilt. It has large appendages looking like moonstone wings, and a long staff like rod which is used to k-"Silver stopped talking as a picture of the scepter came up on the screen. The group was silent, even Rouge.

"Has anybody seen this?" Blaze asked, looking around, many heads shaking 'no'.

"Here, if I look in the last database, Tails always keeps records of where things are and if I look here…." Rouge left off, hitting a few files and buttons, a large grin suddenly spread across her face.

"Ah hah! Here we go! _Scepter is blank, no energy force inside it but seems cold, when Shadow took it he made me look up 'Iblis' and 'Solaris' nothing really. Shadow took it with hi-"_Rouge read, stiffening before the end. Silver growled.

"Great, Mephiles probably mind controlled him." He spat, sighing.

"Okay, where is Shadow?" Blaze asked, surprisingly calm, Amy looked down.

"They're on a mission; I can take you to his house, I think it would be in his lab."

They both hesitated but nodded in the end.

"That would be…..wise…."

A few moments later Amy, Rouge, and Knuckles were walking around Shadow's cave/home with Blaze and Silver. Rouge typed in a code and the nearby door rushed up, she then flicked on a few lights.

"Okay, so the scepter should be in here, look 'round." Rouge said, looking over in the corner. Amy wasn't really sure where to look, she just walked up over a little ledge towards the main computer, and she glanced around before turning towards a gasp.

Knuckles had found the scepter against a wall.

And it was broken.

Shadow spun, blocking a kick with steel enforced boots. The Raccoon was better then he thought, maybe as well as Amy on her bad days.

"Sonic wind!" Sonic shouted, blasting the Raccoon into a pile of rocks. The animals flipped and charged, skinning Sonic's arm with his blade, Shadow spun again, kicking the animals hard. It flipped over backwards and landed perfectly fine. Sonic was growing pale, poison. Shadow cursed and punched the Raccoon….hard. There was a crack as the animal's nose broke. It yowled in pain but Shadow was on a role. He was enjoying this. He spun, grabbing the animal's leg and twisting. Another crack and another as a rib snapped.

_"Shadow, the time will come, wait, the fox is getting worried."_ Shadow backed away from the beaten foe that was bleeding badly. Without hesitation Shadow grabbed some of the animal's blood and 'painted' it on his upper arm and leg. There, now it looked like a fight.

"I'll leave you here Raccoon, if you rob one more time, I'll kill you, got that?" Shadow hissed, the 'Coon whimpered and nodded, dragging itself slowly and painfully into a bush.

"Tails, the Raccoon's gone. Its jewels are here, contact G.U.N., and tell them to get them." Shadow called up, Tails nodded and Shadow Chaos Controlled up onto the wing of the plane, already heading towards home

"What does this mean?" Knuckles asked, looking at the small crack in the scepter. Blaze was glaring at the scepter, as if it insulted her badly.

"Mephiles is a master at trickery, he probably tricked Shadow into thinking he was a good guy."

Silver explained, rubbing his eyes, and then Amy jumped to her feet.

"Wait! Doesn't Mephiles know you two?" Blaze and Silver nodded uncertain.

"So all we have to do is tell him your names and see if there is a reaction!" She beamed, proud of her suggestion. Rouge shrugged same as Knuckles.

"Good plan, might as well do it because Hot Shot's home now." Rouge said, leaning against the wall, all of their eyes widened.

"WHAT?" Knuckles shouted, Rouge held her arms up in defense.

"Hey, don't blame me." She muttered looking away. Blaze chuckled same as Silver.

"Here, I'll Chaos Control us back, Shadow taught me how." Silver explained, taking the Purple emerald that Rouge quickly tossed him.

In seconds and a flash, they were back at Tails home, just as the door opened.

"Hey! We're back!" Sonic cried out. Amy bolted for the door.

"What happened to you?"

"A small virus, nothing much. Tails fixed me on the way home." A few yelps as Knuckles imagined the thick hug Amy would be giving.

Shadow stood at the door, watching the exchange in silent amusement.

"Hey Sonic, Tails….Shadow." Knuckles said, reappearing from around the bend. Knuckles said Shadow's name in a different tone, almost as if he was implying someone else.

"Our visitors Tikal said would come did." Rouge grinned, as the three walked into the room, Tails smiling politely. Sonic giving a huge cheesy grin, and Shadow looking just like how he normally does. But inside he was frozen, with anger and annoyance. Mephiles was in a rage, almost throwing things. Shadow recognized the two at once. 

_"The foolish Hedgehog and Cat! Dare try to find me in such time! I should rip off their heads and boil them for Iblis to ea-"_

_"Mephiles, calm down, let's see what they think." _Shadow growled back, just as much loathing in his mental voice.

"Hello, my name is Blaze the cat, and this is my friend Silver the Hedgehog." Blaze introduced, keeping him under her watchful gaze.

"Pleasure meeting you, I am Shadow the Hedgehog." Shadow said, eyes narrowing slightly.

"I'm Sonic and this is Tails!" Sonic grinned. Shadow kept his eyes on Silver; he would be the main problem. Of course Shadow actually knew how to take both of them down, but he couldn't know that.

"Anyways, Silver and Blaze here need that scepter that you took a while ago. You remember the one Tails?" Amy asked, Tails' face lit up in recognition.

"Yeah! The one with those silver wings! I gave it to Shadow…." All eyes turned to shadow.

"I'm sorry; I seemed to misplace it at my home. Why is this important?" Shadow said smoothly, he noticed Knuckles, Rouge, Blaze, and Silver's eyes all narrow.

"The scepter holds a dark being named Mephiles. He wants to destroy the world." Blaze spat out.

_"Lies! They all are filthy Liar's that deser-"_

_"Let them finish. If worse comes, get out of here." _Shadow said again mentally, faking a look of surprise on his face.

"A dark being inside that scepter?" He made his voice looked shocked. Silver clenched his fist, Sonic looked confused.

"But Tails didn't find anything inside of it." Tails looked down, puzzled and thinking.

"That's because Mephiles works on the power of darkness, not Chaos Energy. He can't control it." Blaze said, rolling her eyes.

"You seem very well informed of Mephiles. How is it that the Scepter of Darkness could hold him?" Shadow asked. Silver shrugged looking directly at Shadow.

"I'm not sure; I think that the materiel made was filled with some sort of Chaos energy." Shadow nodded, blocking out Mephiles shrieks of to 'kill them'.

"Interesting. Can Mephiles not use Chaos energy?" Knuckles asked, Blaze grinned widely.

"Nope, not a bit. It actually annoys him a lot. The only thing he can do is reunite with Iblis who isn't here in this time stream."

_"Why do we need the Emeralds if you can't use them?"_

_"You can dear Shadow. It would be easier to destroy the humans if we held the Emeralds yes?"_

Shadow clenched his fist slightly and put on a fake thinking pose.

"Then what can Mephiles do to harm us? If he doesn't have energy and can't use the Emeralds, what's the threat?" Tails asked. Blaze and Silver looked down, eyes cloudy. Blaze spoke fist. Shadow was waiting to absorb all of this.

"He…..When merged together, Iblis and Mephiles create Solaris. A monster of destruction." She weakly tried to explain. Sonic nodded and Silver looked up.

"An accident happened and split Solaris into two parts. Iblis and Mephiles."

"Together they are destruction, power beyond ends and a murdering monster." Blaze spat in anger, eyes blazing as her name.

_"I am flattered."_ Mephiles spoke dryly, Shadow nodded to both statements.

"Iblis is the power, the mindless host of the chaos. It has a little brain but mostly depends on brute force." Blaze explained, but then Silver looked up, eyes on fire.

"Mephiles is the complete opposite."

_"Oh? This will be interesting."_ Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails shared an uneasy glance.

"Sure Mephiles has power, heck, he has a lot less, but he uses it in such a way he's stronger than Iblis." Silver explained, Rouge sighed, and she was looking out the window.

"So that leaves the brains to this Mephiles….." She sighed, Blaze nodded.

"Exactly….in a separate timeline this happened before. Mephiles tricked us, sent us back in time….the outcome was…..disasters." She explained, Sonic gazed intently, Silver chuckled weakly.

"He managed to trick us into thinking that _you_ had Iblis inside you Sonic…..We were sent back to kill you…." It was silent a moment. Sonic was wide eyed and looked down.

"Did you?" His voice was weak, shaky.

"No, we found his true intentions after an encounter." Blaze said.

_"I was close to, finally ridding that Hedgehog."_ Mephiles spat, Shadow was silent.

"So, this Mephiles is going to be the strongest foe yet?" Tails asked, tilting his head slightly, Silver laughed dryly.

"Not really. He's so tricky though, that's what gets you. He's a shadow. For all we know, he could be in this room, easily sneaking into somebody's mind." Silver let the rest hang, but Shadow looked at Sonic, slightly biting his lip. However he didn't miss a small glance he received from Knuckles. A wary one.

_"They suspect us."_

_"I see that, what do we do to throw them off?"_

_"…We can't, act like yourself."_

Shadow clenched his fist, sighing slightly.

"Great, _another_ enemy that wants to kill us. Is there anyone that Mephiles is directly after? Sonic possibly?" Shadow asked, bitter humor in his voice, Sonic retaliated.

"Hey!"

"We all know how well you get on people's nerves Sonic." Shadow remarked, Knuckles shook his head, holding back laughter, same as the others. Sonic blushed and sat down, pouting slightly.

"Actually…..Mephiles _is_ out for someone." Blaze started sounding uncertain. Knuckled rolled his eyes.

"Better start running Sonic." He stated, Sonic exhaled loudly and rolled his eyes, facing the other way.

"It's not Sonic….." Blaze stated, playing with a little flame on her fingertips. Everybody looked over with keen interest.

"It's Shadow….He's kinda out to kill you."

Shadow stiffened before Mephiles groaned.

_"Those fools! They get everything wrong!"_

_"Me?"_ Shadow choked out aloud and mentally. Blaze nodded as Mephiles tried to explain.

_"When we met the first time….I absorbed your shadow. You feared me so you traveled back in time and sealed me inside the scepter. It was a misunderstanding. I'm not out to kill you." _Shadow would question the rest later.

"Why? Why does he want me?" He choked out, Blaze blinked twice before answering.

"Because you're a threat. You and Sonic are the biggest threats. We were sent for Sonic, and Mephiles came for you…..I think you escaped or something and he wanted revenge."

_"Escape? You refused to join me….I wasn't very clear with what I wanted however….."_

_"You have a short Temper, you know that?"_

_"Silence Shadow."_

Shadow looked down and exhaled deeply, same as Sonic.

"Don't worry Shad's; we'll make it through this!" Sonic quickly slung his arm over Shadows shoulder.

"If you want to keep your arm, remove it." Sonic did so just as quickly as he could.

"Thanks for the support, I think I shall be leaving." Shadow turned, and vanished using Chaos control, but only traveling to the roof, where he could still listen. He did so, as did Mephiles from the room itself.

"I am not sure…." Silver sighed; Shadow could almost imagine the confused looks he was getting.

"Wait, what?"

"We searched Shadows home when you guys were gone." Knuckles started, Shadow's quills prickled in anger.

"We found the scepter but it was broken, we think Mephiles is inside Shadow."

Shadow clenched his fists, the fools!

"But then why would Shadow be asking about Mephiles?"

"We….We aren't sure…."

"He might be trying to trick us." Knuckles voice sounded.

"I don't know…Shads always been good at shielding his emotions."

Shadow had heard enough, he twisted vanishing back to his home.


	7. Nothing but the Truth

**Somebody wanted a meeting with Sonic and Shads, well here it is. Hope i can put the next one up soon.**

Shadow had to find out, speak with Sonic at least, find out if what Mephiles said was true.

Shadow raced across the ground, speeding quickly over the grass towards Sonic's home.

He easily cleared a small trap Tails had probably put up for wild animals, and kept running.

The large house came into view before he saw anyone, the cream building with multiple color siding brought a strange warmth to Shadows heart.

Shadow didn't like warmth, he liked the cold, or he was used to it.

Shadow walked out, in a slow walking pace, simply watching as Knuckles was the victim of Sonic's impatient whining of a race.

"Come on Knux! Please?" He begged, eyes huge and almost watering. Ever since Cream taught him how to fake cry, even Shadow was a victim.

"Hey moron, I need to talk with you."

Sonic looked up, a light smile on his face, Knux frowned, a untrusting look in his eye. Cream and Amy in the little garden over by the corner looked up suddenly. They were bitting there lip.

"I just want to talk, my place?" Shadow asked. Sonic folded his arms, unsure. Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll race you there."

Still no response, Sonic stepped forward.

"How about the little lake a little ways off?"

Shadow raised an eyebrow but shrugged. A full blown smile raced on Sonic's fetures before he dashed off, as did Shadow.

Shadow _did_ however see Knuckles, his arms were crossed and a deep scowl in his face, but underneath all the 'frightning' appearences, Shadow could see what was wrong.

Knuckles was afraid of Shadow.

Shadow kept running, he easily caught up to Sonic who was already waiting, atop a granite boulder much like Shadows own.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Sonic asked, jumping down from his 'winning' spot.

Shadow closed his eyes, reaching for the coldness, he felt nothing. Mephiles wasn't here.

"Why are you so afraid of me?" Shadow asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

Sonic's smirk fell off like running water, nothing was on it.

"W-What?" His voice stuttered, betraying his emotions. Shadow crossed his arms.

"I can see right through you Sonic, you and Knuckles are afraid to the death of me."

Sonic looked down, closing his eyes, he bit his lip.

"I-I it's just that-"

"It's Mephiles." Shadow finished, his fears were becoming confirmed.

Sonic's head shot right up, eyes widened.

"I was in the room Sonic, you fear me because you think Mephiles might try to kill me? Kill you?"

Shadow focused on the fact that he hadn't heard the part about being 'controlled'.

Sonic shook his head, eyes widening.

"No! It's just that….um…." Sonic realized he was stuck, he couldn't tell shadow that he might be controlled. Shadow glared hard.

"What? Mephiles tricked Silver into almost killing you Sonic, whose to say you wont try to kill me?"

Sonci jumped back, eyes huge with hurt and shock.

"I would never!" Sonic shouted back, Shadow growled. Sonic was speechless, Shadow growled, like a _dog._

"Never? How can I trust you? I can only trust myself Sonic, because when you trsut, you get stabbed."

Sonic couldn't stand this, his firned was literally spititng words and was ripping there connection apart.

"But I would never kill you Shads!" Sonic shouted.

"You wouldn't? What if we were against each other Sonic? What if you were with Mephiles and he told you to kill me? What if it was for like what Silver said, to save the future?"

Shadow shot back, anger pulsing through his body. Sonic looked down, sadness shining through his now dim eyes.

Shadow knew the answer, and so did Sonic.

Sonic would kill him if it ment to save the world.

"My debt to Maria was paid long ago, I saved the world, now the world is in my debt."

Sonic said nothing, not even the fish were swimming now. The birds had gone silent, feeling the tension in the air themselves.

"What do I get? Fear. Fear is all I get and I deserve _so much more_."

"Then go." Sonic said, voice haunted and saddened.

Shadow looked at him, scanning his with his eyes.

"Get out of here if you aren't happy, go do what you need to."

Shadow turned, all that Mephiles spoke of had been true, every….single…..thing….

"Good luck fighting Mephiles Sonic, I won't fight against him, your on your own."

Those were Shadows last words as friends with Sonic the Hedgehog.

You know how the saying goes.

Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.

But where do you put your _murderer?_


	8. The Broken Bloody Promise

**Hey!**

**The story hasn't been very T at all yet, so i made this to try to be bloody.**

**I changed some vocab on a few reviewers requests so i hope it's better than the last few chapters.**

**~Oceanbreeze7**

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Shadow was watching, bloodlust in his eyes. The fact that Sonic was his killer drove him over the edge, he wanted to hurt something.

No, he wanted to _kill_ something.

The fact that Mephiles actually said it was a smart idea was another thing entirely. Mephiles had noticed Shadow's attacks weren't going for the kill.

They were going for pain.

Mephiles simply told him to go north in Alistair Forest, he never told him why.

Oh, Shadow was _pleased._

He turned, silently dropping to the forest floor. A few G.U.N. guards were outside a tent, chatting aimlessly, and guns on the ground.

Shadow narrowed his eyes, watching as they laughed at a joke. Shadow silently tossed a pinecone into their sight. They snapped their heads upwards. The one on the right immediately grabbed his gun.

"What you think it is?"

"A squirrel? I don't know, let me look." He replied coming into the forest. Shadow smiled just waiting, then dropping another on the man, who spun to look up. He dropped the gun in shock. Shadow stood in a tree, clutching a gun himself. It was out of ammo, but sent the message over.

He jumped, plowing his hand through the man's heart before he could even scream. His hand closed around the offending organ and he yanked backwards.

Now, a human's heart was not made to be yanked out, so logically many things would attach to it.

The Dark Hedgehog disliked these things greatly.

Pulling, twisting and yanking, nothing could free his hand from the scarlet prison. The corpse sunk, mouth wide open and only the whites of the eye visible, blood spurted out and coated Shadow with the slimy crimson liquid, turning his chest fur to the almost black color of scarlet

With a final pull, the heart came free, large claw marks and holes glinted through the oval shape, but he then saw the problem.

A human's heart was a pump; it sent blood through human veins. Naturally, the veins would be _attached_ to the heart.

Veins dribbled liquid as others gushed it out, like a garden hose releasing water from the foot long tube.

Shadow wasn't aware of what he was doing; only watching as the organ twisted and finally ruptured a mix of fluid and ground meat squeezing out between his now blackened gloves.

The clean gun was stained black and red as Shadow lifted it from the ground, checking it for any type of bug, before actually thinking about using the gun himself.

A twig snapped under weight, Shadow jumped high into a tree, holding his weapon close and watching.

Another guard went into the forest, trying to find out why his comrade never came back. He gasped at the fallen body of his friend, dropping to his knees and closing the males' eyes in sorrow.

_Drip….drip….. _The man looked up, trying to find out what was leaking water on him, his eyes widening as he noticed something. The water wasn't clear, no it was crimson red.

A few stray shots neared shadow, but he jumped down, grabbing the man in a choke hold, pressing the gun in, and far down his ear before pressing the trigger.

Let's just say, Shadow did _not_ expect large chunks of grey, clear, and red goo to fly through the air, snagging on the rough bark of the trees and clinging to Shadow's pelt.

He dropped the headless corpse, admiring his new found weapon; it had enough force to blow off somebody's head and into a slimy pulp.

He turned, walking towards the campsite. As soon as he was in sight, all fire arms broke out.

They were far away; nobody would know if Shadow died. Nobody would care if the Black Hedgehog would be found, dead in the morning's crisp air. Well, that was what G.U.N. thought.

Shadow thought different.

He quickly combed the first wave with his gun; blood flying like water did when Cream tried to wash Cheese. Splattering all that lived or suffocating those who were still alive, bleeding to death on the unforgiving ground.

Avoiding a few stray bullets, Shadow twisted, destroying the survivors before turning. More ranks came, this time with robots and _more_ guns.

He locked on, doing a series of attacks, shattering the machines and letting the shrapnel kill the humans, there's bones bathing the ground in a meaty slush. Crimson eyes turned to a tent, the main tent. As the two flaps swung open, the commander was urgently pleading. Talking to someone over a radio.

Shadow raised his hand silently.

"Chaos Spear." The flying bolt of raw power pierced through two ribs, his heart, lungs and several important things. Blood rushed from the human's mouth, staining the strange screen the human had been talking to. Than crumpled, the broken ribs protruding from his chest like monster claws.

"Don't try to stop me humans, all shall suffer my wrath." Shadow spat, turning and walking out of the tent, leaving no footprints.

What he did miss however, was the one the commander had been chatting to, or rather, being blackmailed by.

Professor I. Robotnik sat in shock, the one he had been threatening just reeled over and died, blood and gore staining the screen he was using. He did however see a dark form at the entryway to the tent and immediately thought of this to be the killer.

"Don't try to stop me humans, all shall suffer my wrath." It spat, bloodlust thicker than any other being Eggman had ever heard.

But worse of it all, Eggman had recognized the deep dark voice, and he was afraid.

He was afraid of Shadow.


	9. Hollow Wounds and Haunting Words

**Sorry about the big gap. I was slightly busy, but i know this isn't an excuse.**

**I got braces, just to let you know if anyone actually cares. They're Silver, just Silver. Should have gotten Red and Black :D**

**Something else, on my other stories...well my good ones such as Sharktooth for Percy Jackson Fanfic. I didn't _nearly_ get as many hits nor Veiwers but yet more reviews. I'm not one of those authors that wont update until someone reviews or anthing, just i would really enjoy it if you do. I know, most of the time i don't want to, but it's fine.**

**~Oceanbreeze **

**P.S. If you ask a Question, i'll answer it up here.**

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Shadow was walking towards a small meeting place in the forest where all big meetings took place.

Normally only meetings that were to graphic for Tails or the younger ones, most of the time only Sonic and Shadow met, discussing large things.

This time however, Blaze and Silver insisted that the entire group came, they did as was told.

Shadow broke the line of trees and walked into the small clearing; his black obsidian slab of rock he always sat on was waiting for him, so he jumped on and waited.

In a matter of seconds Blaze, Silver, Sonic, and Knuckles broke through the trees, Rouge and Tails landed from above. A little more and Cream and Amy walked out, observing the little clearing.

"You called?" Shadow asked, standing on his rock, causing some to look up surprised. Shadow blended in well, the only thing that stood out was the red streaks. He carefully sat down on his rock.

"What is of importance to come to the meeting spot?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. Silver and Sonic looked up.

"Have you seen the news?" A quick shake of the head from all over gave Sonic the courage to take a small projector from Tails and shine it against the rock Shadow sat on. He silently leapt down and looked at the screen.

_"Earlier this evening an entire rank of G.U.N. Officials were found brutally killed. Many were seen dead from pure force, advance tactics, or in such case, G.U.N. weaponry itself." _A saddened voice said, next, horrific pictures sprang up.

The man with his body smashed like a bug, the beheaded one, and ranks upon ranks of solders dead by gun. All were so horrific none could stand this. Amy gasped; she stifled sobs that shook her body. Silver and Blaze looked away. Cream and Tails were pale, obviously mentally scared for the rest of their lives.

_"Experts predict this attack had been planned by multiple people ranging from twenty to forty. Investigators are looking into this strange attack."_

Sonic flipped the switch off. All were silent, people purely saddened.

"You think Eggman did this?" Knuckles asked, Shadow made himself look pondering.

"Wasn't that group supposed to be negotiating with Eggman?" He made himself ask, many surprised glances were his answers.

"He's right…..but how did you know that?" Tails asked, shadow rolled his eyes.

"It's G.U.N., I like to know where they are so I don't run into them on accident and end up with them almost killing me out of hate."

Apparently the excuse was good enough, all dropped the subject.

"I don't think Robotic attacked the humans." Blaze said, looking up, fire raging in her eyes. 

_'You'll be free Iblis'_ Shadow thought, giving a half nod.

"You think it was Mephiles?" Knuckles asked, Silver shook his head.

"This isn't his style, he prefers to bring fear and leave messages. He would at least have rubbed it in someone's face."

"This had no threat in it, a simple killing."

The forest was silent, Sonic was biting his lip, and Amy was trembling.

"Who do we know that has a temper against G.U.N?"

All turned to Rouge who blinked and backed up, arms held up in the 'unarmed' sign.

"Whoa, why you all looking at me like that?"

Knuckles crossed his arms, a deep frown etched onto his muzzle.

"We all know you work for G.U.N, now whose out to get G.U.N? In the past or present."

She crossed her arms, unsure as she thought deeply. Then she shrugged.

"I don't know, nobody's really been out for G.U.N, killing off the ranks, going for revenge, or wanting to destroy the whole world recently."

Everybody hesitated before slowly turning and looking at shadow.

Sonic scratched his neck, an uneasy smile on his face.

"Um….Shads…w-"

"Did you murder the innocent?" Silver quickly said no hesitation in his voice.

Shadow blinked slowly, turning to look at Silver, who almost flinched under his gaze.

His crimson eyes were cold, merciless as ever, but there was a sharp tinge to it, like a fire that was just fed explosives, or a monster just fed blood.

"You accuse me of many deaths? You accuse me of lives G.U.N. Lost?"

Shadow turned, looking over his shoulder.

"I am not the murderer you are looking for, but I can very well say, G.U.N. deserved what they got."

He turned once more, clenching his teeth and eyes blazing with fury and hatred.

"G.U.N will have to sacrifice much more if they are to counter the blood of those they have killed, they will _never be innocent."_

Shadow lifted his arm, quickly flashing out of the area with his Emerald.

The others were in shock, but Blaze was quick with her eyes, she had seen what the others had missed.

A small cut, only an inch, but coated with dark goo dripping with human blood, few could tell what it was, but Blaze could easily recognize it from experience.

"What….What just happened?" Knuckles asked, blinking quickly. Sonic looked down, he felt like he failed, and in a way he had. He failed with being Shadow's friend.

"Shadow ended our friendship a few days ago." Sonic's voice was dead, all were surprised, but the deep pang in Sonic's heart quickly spread to all the others.

"Why?" rouge choked out, unshed tears in her eyes. For Shadow to end Sonic's friendship was like saying that he was going to commit suicide.

"Because he has been touched by the Demon." Blaze simply said, all eyes, including Silver's was on her. His were wide, jaw dropped slightly.

"No way."

Tails took a step forward.

"Demon?" Blaze nodded slightly inhaling quickly.

"Demon was Shadow's nickname for Mephiles; it was very popular in our time. I saw a wound on his arm that could only be made by Mephiles's claw."

Amy clenched her fist, but calmed down, exhaling slowly.

"So what now?"

"Simple, we do research."

*S*

"I don't get this Mephiles guy, how can he convince people so well?" Silver shuddered, thinking of the past;

"Mephiles is a creature of darkness. He can turn anyone against anything with a snap of his fingers basically. The hard part is going against him. When he finds that you're useless, he'll kill you."

Silver's voice was bitter; Personal experience had taught him well

"So….He turned Shadow against us?" Sonic asked confusion still in his voice.

"No, we aren't sure if Mephiles has tried to persuade Shadow. We know he's been in physical contact however. Is there anything Shadow dislikes? Something that Mephiles could easily twist into rage and power?"

Rouge and Sonic stiffened, both of their faces got pale. Knuckles twitched catching on, he slumped backwards, groaning.

"Oh….Oh _no."_

Rouge looked bitter, a dark yet sad look in her eye, she shuddered silently and took in a rigid breath.

"….He never talks about it."

All eyes were on Rouge as she slowly looked back at the crowd in Sonic's mansion shared by the rest.

"….there was a girl Maria, a human, which he was _really_ close to, like, closer than you are to Blaze."

Silver nodded, but Rouge didn't want to continue, Silver had to ask.

"What happened to this 'Maria'?"

He asked. Sonic sighed, taking over and sparing Rouge the tragic ending.

"I don't know all about it, but…."

Silver nodded and Sonic winced.

"She was killed."

It was silent a moment, all eyes were on Sonic. Very few actually knew this story. Amy was wide eyes, a hand clamped over her mouth, Cream had her eyes closed, slowly stroking the shaking Cheese.

Silver had his eyes closed, a deep sorrow filled frown on his face.

"She….She died?" He asked, Sonic winced and nodded again.

"Yes…..Mephiles could easily use this…do you know who killed her?"

He asked again. Sonic nodded eyes wide again. Knuckles clenched his fist, muttering something under his breath.

"A government military named G.U.N. He was hell-bent on revenge for a while, watching his only friend be killed."

Rouge took over, Sonic nor did anybody else except Eggman know this. Silver snapped his head up, he was trembling slightly, panic in his eyes.

"Wait, he _saw_ this girl die? Be killed by _humans?"_ Sonic winced and Rouge nodded.

"I read in a book he made to try to help his memories return. He didn't just watch her die…"

The room was silent again; even breathing seemed to stop as Rouge closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

"No, he was trapped in an escape pod. He was just meters away but couldn't do anything."

"He watched his only friend die at his feet, the man that killed her just inches away."

Silver collapsed to the ground. His eyes closed, still trembling in panic.

"There's no doubt Mephiles would leave this out…from where I am in the future, I've seen what happens and what's left of you guys. I have no doubt that Shadow is with Mephiles, we got to find him, and stop him."

Sonic looked away into the distance. Amy and many others had their eyes closed.

"Rouge….where is this 'book?'" Blaze asked, she was trained to keep her emotions hidden. A queen must _never_ cry.

Rouge got to her feet and made her way to a little vanity cabinet in the corner for looks. Nobody expected her to open the tiny bottom shelf and remove something wrapped in old yellowing paper.

"It…It was kinda like a diary, more like a memory log…..he wanted to rememberya 'know?"

She sniffled setting the book on the coffee table.

Silver easily used his powers to unravel the book, thick black leather with small blood stains looked up, a dark red gem shimmering on the cover.

"Well then…."

Tails cleared his throat, giving a weak pale smile.

"Shall we?"


	10. The pain a book can bring

**Hey! Sorry for not updating!**

**In my defence, it was NOT my fault.**

**The server is all messed up, it had ERROR TYPE 2**

**I had to go on like 40 disscussion boards until i found out how to fix it.**

**

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**

Silver used his powers to very carefully open up the first page. Tails had a special camera that was hooked up to the TV, easily using its entire screen.

Old yellow pages first looked up, before the screen fizzled then adjusted, changing the reception of visual.

The words then became clear on the screen.

_"January 17_

_I remember small things."_

Rouge started out loud, all eyes were on her, not the screen.

_"I remember screaming and shouting, running through the blood of ones I do not know, but almost recognize."_

"This is starting to sound like the ARK." Sonic put in, Rouge exhaled softly and resumed reading.

_"The blood, the gunshots, and the echoing of the corridor. Faint flashes of light, then the door. I remember the large grey metal door that I slammed shut, holding off the approaching foe. But I don't know who I'm against, what are they?"_

A tiny glassy effect appeared in Rouge's eye, she had never truly read it, but she had to, to know what happened.

_"The door gets dents in it, I can recognize them easily, a guns shot. The girl I was with was at a control area, pressing buttons I somehow knew. She was programming an escape pod."_

_"The door is almost open, but she's not panicking, I praise this girl, she has courage."_

"This is right as she…." Knuckles didn't have to say the next part, but the others knew what he meant. Nobody confirmed it, as if saying it out loud would confirm it.

_"She turns to me, a light in her eyes, like little stars. 'Shadow, could you do me a favor and stand right there there's a sensor that needs to be activated.' I move to the spot, I feel myself do so. I trust this girl, I don't know why, I just do."_

"No…" Amy whimpered, not sure of what she was doing, just what would happen.

_"She hits a few more buttons, and I wait. The door is blasted open, and she gasps, pulling down a lever. Before I can act a thick wall of glass falls around me. A pod, why do I always have bad times in pods?"_

"_A man is inside the room now; he has his gun pointed at the girl, a harsh frown on his face._

_'Don't pull that lever!' He shouted, cocking his gun, but the girl wouldn't listen, she lunged at a lever, a few feet away, loud banging as a single bullet whizzed through the air, the girl crumpled to the ground."_

"No…please don't…." Cream whimpered, tears coming down her face, Cheese tried to help, but he too was sad.

_"The man turned, leaving to find someone who could hack the pod open. He glared at me, and I noticed something. One eye of his was blue, while the other was brown."_

Rouge and Sonic's eyes widened, they glanced at each other quickly, eyes afraid.

"This is _not_ good." Sonic stated, Blaze blinked and Knuckles frowned.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"The….G.U.N. Leader, the one in charge of everything….he is the only one in G.U.N. with two different colored eyes."

A pin drop would echo in the silence of the room…Rouge slowly started reading again.

_"'MARIA!' I was screaming, trying to break the pod, but I couldn't. I was in agony, my closest, only friend, no…my sister was laying on the ground, dead._

_No, she moved, slowly she got up to her knees, left hand clenched around her midsection. The man had missed her heart and hit her stomach. She slowly reached up, panting as the crimson blood stained her clothes red, and she gripped a lever and smiled weakly."_

_'Shadow I beg of you, please do it for me…'_

_"I was in shock, I banged even harder, shouting her name, but the pod seemed like a one way with sound. _

_'For all the people on that planet…give them a chance to be happy…Let them live for their dreams. Shadow, I know you can do it. That's the reason why you were brought into this world…'_

_I felt tears drip down my muzzle, I had never cried before then, Maria was growing pale, weak, she gripped the handle hard with her hand, removing the left and putting that on the lever also, revealing the large sickening hole in her gut._

_I screamed at her, I kicked and punched. I knew Maria could hear me, but she ignored me, closing her eyes and whispering her last words._

_'Sayonara Shadow the Hedgehog'_

_"I saw her collapse; her eyes open a sliver, dull and lifeless. The lever was pulled and I was shot down to Earth…."_

Rouge finished reading. The room was silent, but Amy suddenly gasped.

"That's why!" She suddenly shouted eyes wide. All turned to look at her, she blushed slightly.

"On the ARK….I…..When I was trying to convince him _not_ to blow up the world…."

"Wait, Shadow_ almost blew up the world?"_ Blaze and Silver's eyes were big.

"We'll explain later." Tails directed over, they frowned but Amy was biting her lip.

"I….I think I almost said exactly what Maria said…."

Rouges eyes were big, Sonic's jaw was dropped.

"I…I _think_ I said…'Shadow, I beg of you, please do it for me… Do it for a better future!'….he flinched slightly….then ran out to help you guys…I think he cried a little."

Again it was all quiet. Silver was quietly looking through the entries, looking at them slightly. Every once and a while he frowned or gave a small sad smile.

"What are you looking at?" Blaze whispered, Silver levitated the book over, letting blaze read the first page.

_"Maria wanted to try out the hover shoes the doctor had given me. It was strange to not wear them, but even stranger to see Maria flying around the room. She skidded down stairs, eventually falling down and being unable to get back up. I shouldn't mock her for this, after all my first experience with them was not pleasant."_

Blaze smiled a little, she could easily see the joy Shadow had. Amy, Sonic, Knuckles, and Rouge were busily talking in whispers. Silver and Blaze looked through a few more entries. Not all were like this; a few were more gruesome, such as training or testing. It was in no order whatsoever so the two had to guess the age of the hedgehog.

Tails suddenly looked up, a slight smile in his eyes.

"Hey Rouge? On the ARK were their security cameras?"

Rouge frowned but thought; she scratched her chin and slowly nodded.

"I can easily hack into a few and see the information. I could find Shadow's strength's, weakness, and pastimes, practically like a visual diary if you want to."

"Isn't that invasion of personal privacy though?" Sonic asked, Rouge shrugged.

"It may help us change Shadow back." Knuckles reasoned, Silver shrugged and softly set the book down.

Amy suddenly frowned.

"I think this will have to wait, there's a report. Apparently Eggman's attacking downtown this instant."

Amy reported, holding up a little hand held screen with Eggman on it, laughing and firing weapons at G.U.N. robots.

"Let's go Silver." Sonic shouted racing out of the home.

Silver also did, but slightly slower, but still following. Blaze did also, leaving the rest all alone in the house…

* * *

**Hey! Mephiles and Shads haven't been in for a while, so i'm putting both of them in the next Chap!**


	11. The Monsters Joy

Shadow walked around the town. Apparently after a little spar between Eggman and G.U.N, his Emerald had been lost, and found by a local jewelry store nearby.

Shadow was walking down the street, hugging the walls of the nearby businesses. Gladly many of the people kept their distance; Shadow didn't care, as long as he got the gem in the end.

_"Up here, on the left…..I can feel it." _Mephiles whispered, looking at him from his Shadow reflected on the ground. Nobody would normally notice the difference of his shadow, maybe Blaze or Silver could but there wasn't much of a difference.

Except the frightening lizard green and yellow eyes that occasionally looked up.

Shadow gave a small nod nobody else could see and walked into the small cute jewelry store.

The girl at the counter stiffened, her eyes widening slightly with shock, Shadow narrowed his eyes slightly and with a small flick of his finger, Mephiles sprang, a thin black stream of dark energy knocking the lever that held the blinds up.

_Fliiit!_ The blinds on one window fell, in seconds, all windows and doors had been blocked by curtains and blinds, the open sign flipped to close.

The windows were blocked and Mephiles returned, waiting in his shadow.

"Hello little girl, I am interested in something I believe you have." His tone was slightly dark, she was shivering slightly.

"N-No S-sir, I d-don't know w-what you are l-looking f-for." She stuttered, backing away.

Shadow narrowed his eyes. _Zzzzpop._ A single light popped out, thanks to Mephiles that is.

_Zzzzzpop! Zzzzzzzpop!_ Now only one light remained, the light directly above the girl. She yelped and backed into the wall.

"Give me the Chaos Emerald. There is no point in trying to hide it."

The girl was trembling, Mephiles hissed in annoyance and separated, spreading across the floor in a thin black mist, deep in search for it.

_"Here, under the red cushion."_ Shadow walked over to a glass case showing watches, and punched through the case. Knocking the watches aside. Glass flew and the girl shrieked, blocking her face from the shards. A single little shard slashed her cheek, a little dribble of blood clumsily rolled out, dripping onto the display case.

A black hand carefully moved the cushion and took out the hidden glittering gem. His hand almost glowing as the gem reacted with the energy inside the hedgehog's body.

The girl was still in shock, trembling greatly, she was wide eyed as she spotted her blood dripping down her face, it had already slipped through her hands, yet she caught it, as if she could somehow heal herself with it.

Shadow gripped the white gem and casually stashed it in his quills, next to the crimson red one. Two Chaos Emeralds….only five more to go.

_"Go, I hear a commotion outside, I shall take the girl."_ Shadow nodded, heading towards the door. He froze, and silently looked out between the blinds, and stiffened.

G.U.N. robots marched down the streets, aiming their weapons on robots that were obviously Eggmans. Bolts and spare machine parts were flying, oil gushing down the street in absence of the scarlet liquid Shadow was so used to.

"Your right, Eggman and G.U.N. are playing a little game." Shadow's voice was monotone, simply alerting Mephiles of the possible danger nearby.

_"I see….we should wait in the alleys, watch the chess game as it destroy each other's pawns."_ Shadow glanced over at Mephiles, who was strangely quiet. He really wished he hadn't.

The girl's eyes were purely white, the iris's rolled back into her head. Her mouth was dropped, in a silent scream; her hair was splayed, like it was filled with static.

The most frightening was the black mist seeping through her mouth, nose and ears, running through the girls body how Oxygen would. The blood on her cheek was slowly hardening, until a little drop fell, turning into a perfect drop of hardened blood. Almost like hail in a raindrop form.

The girl twisted, neck moving to the side, as if looking over her shoulder, but Shadow knew it wasn't the girl's doing, it was Mephiles. A strangled ripping noise sounded, before collapsing, arms on the case and eyes dim.

_"She has the effects of a Heart attack None shall know of her true death."_

"What….What did you _do_ to her?" He whispered, looking at the lifeless corpse.

_"I entered her mind, took her brain and heart as my own, but she was not strong enough….she was to….breakable."_

Mephiles stated, Shadow looked away and nodded, exhaling and vanishing the sick feeling he had.

Shadow walked out, sticking to the alley's, simply watching as more G.U.N. troops fired at Eggman's little robots which took out a few.

"Fire!" The people on the ground shouted, missiles slamming into large dog like Robots, which shrugged them off and attacked again.

A blue blur shot out of nowhere, smashing into the dog's back. The fanged jaw on the dog twitched before it dropped and the dog collapsed a shower of sparks.

"Eggman!" Sonic shouted, standing on the dog's remains.

"What are you doing here?" Sonic shouted again, Eggman wasn't smiling or ranting. G.U.N. stopped firing for a little bit.

"Taking over you're city!" He shouted, firing another round of bullets which Sonic dodged. There was a change however, instead of his all out attack like he normally would, attacking from all sides. He was focusing his army onto a single stream of firing, to be more precise _only this road._

Lasers were fired, Sonic avoided them but a few of G.U.N. solders were taken out in a fury of sparks and melted metal. Sonic jumped to avoid another laser, but quickly twisted into a spin dash, easily knocking down another hound.

A Vein was popping out of Eggman's forehead, his furious hands swiped the controls, sending out much of his arsenal.

Sonic jumped, eyes wide muttering an 'uh oh'. He jumped, grabbing an incoming missile and throwing it the other way, destroying all the others with a large cloud of debris.

_"He relies of speed more than tactic."_

"Injure his legs and he's down."Shadow mumbled back, he could see his shadow pondering. It's frightening lizard green eyes focused on Sonic and Eggman.

Sonic jumped and dropped, sliding under another of the robot dogs, ripping off its hind legs and taking out the battery pack. It dropped over destroyed. All the hounds were gone now.

_"It will take much to terminate his speed."_

"He dodges easily, it's nearly impossible to get him down."

_"Ah, you still have much to learn young Shadow. All weaknesses, no matter how small or untouchable they are, are important in our fight."_

"How so Mephiles?" Shadow asked, a robot nailed sonic in the ribs, sending him flying into a building. The blue blur just raced back in again.

_"His weakness is his legs? Attack him in a place where he cannot run. Put him in water, what happens then dear Shadow?"_

Shadow's eyes widened, Mephiles was smart to see that, smarter than anyone else Shadow had ever met, even the Doctor. It was a wise choice to serve under Mephiles, or _with_ Mephiles.

_"Hero's are the same, they have a hero complex, a desire if you choose, to save the innocent. But you and I Shadow, we see the truth, that none are innocent. Why should we save those who have caused us pain and suffering? No, we shouldn't and we won't."_

Shadow was still pondering. A Hero complex? Now how could that turn to his favor.

_"You are pondering the Hero complex? I must say, it is _always_ in our favor. Grab someone from the sidelines, the hero will always 'help' then you strike when he is weak."_

Apparently Eggman knew of this also, as he used a long robot claw to grab a few G.U.N. solders, however Sonic quickly and skillfully free'd them without a swipe of his quils.

_"Such a pity the fool has no idea of how to swap a pawn."_

Mephiles spat bitterly, a robot on G.U.N.'s side combusted randomly suddenly. The people surrounding it jumped away, calling it off as a 'stray laser'.

"Mephiles." Shadow scolded, Mephiles crossed his arm, he looked away, still annoyed.

_"Why shall we wait? Turn the tides and kill."_

A small smirk grew on Shadow's face, he turned to sonic but didn't budge.

"Knowin Sonic, he probably just ran off, therefore somebody would follow him."

_"He doesn't seem to cooaperate with others."_

"You'll see."

At that moment a large fireball shot down and coated a robot in sickly orange flames.

A lilac cat danced through these and quickly commanded them to turn, to charge against the others.

Green energy grabbed streetlights and hurled them, piercing the robots like lances.

Mephiles snarled, twisting suddenly in a fit of rare anger.

_"Blaze and Silver, they deserve to rot!"_

Shadow looked down at the furry ridden Mephiles, his form wasn't staying the same, twisting and finally Shadow gave up trying to recognize it.

"Is their a way to attack them without them recognizing us?"

_"No, Blaze and Silver will always recognize me, as Sonic will recognize you. I can hide you, change our forms to be unrecognizable."_

Shadow gave a short nod, and Mephiles seeped up from the ground.

His body split, one large porton sunk deep inside Shadow's fur. He shivered as it twisted, Shadow struggled and the mist recoiled.

_"Stop struggling or it wont set! Relax Shadow."_

Shadow unwillingly let the bone searing cold rest on him, finally, the cold spread to his core, drenching it with icewater. His core froze, turning his blood to ice, making him grow used to the feeling as he was normally.

Black mist set on his fur, hardening and thinning until it was as smooth as glass, his arms lengthened as his legs, his tail grew and his flesh hardened until he dropped onto four legs.

He flickered his eyes open, easily seeing all with a strange grey tint. A sharp purple surrounded all living things, and a dark blue surrounded all threats. He opened his shark like muzzle now to feel rows of pointed teeth, his quills flexed into sharp spines at the back of his neck.

His sat down on his large but strong hindquarters. Looking as the mist swirled into a black portal like thing.

Slowly a large purple, black, and white wolf like creature walked out. Its belly white and it's back the purple in Mephiles's crystals. Strange black patters swirled on his flesh like the shadows themselves lived on him. His shark like mouth looked dangerous and his long ears sat just before a long crystal mane of diamond bladed rock.

Green eyes met Red and Shadow actually looked to see how big he was. He was easily the length of a human door, while the height of a small car. Around the size of a horse.

_"These are one of my shadows. My beings of darkness. You shall remain in that form until you command not to. Blaze and Silver will recognize my monsters, but not recognize it as us."_

Shadow nodded his head, opining his muzzle to speak, but then freezing. How did he speak in this form.

_"Our minds are linked as I am within you presently."_

_'Oh….shall we just run in there and attack?'_

_"Start with G.U.N, we are enemies, not friends. The fools shall take it the wrong way."_

Shadow nodded and started slowly walking, the shadow blending him in so well, only his crimson eyes could be seen, same with Mephiles.

Sonic was narrowly avoiding bullets now, from G.U.N. and Eggman. Blaze and Silver were hacking at a strange metal scorpion now, Shadow and Mephiles growled and jumped into the G.U.N. ranks.

Screams were their music.

* * *

**At the beggining, i was randomly going with the monster thing, but i found a pic that perrfectly matched it.**

**I just want to say, i DID NOT STEAL IT!**

**I was trying to explain the wolf demon things, so i looked up some pictures of demonwolves to hlp with my ideas.**

**I found the Sergal or something like that, a Sergal is not what the monster is but its body shape is most like it.**

**By the way, i'm 13 so no, the demon wolves do not do the... activities...sergal's do**


	12. The Demon's Thirst

G.U.N. was in shock, that was all Shadow could say.

Oil flew through the air as Shadows long and seemingly invincible teeth ripped the metal to shreds, his eyes blazing with bloodlust.

Chunks of debris was thrown at the opposing robots as they tried to stop the beasts.

_"Excellent, you adapt very quickly Shadow, attack the core, the main power frame and they all shut down."_

Shadow jumped over a robot, his horse sized frame landing on a massive one, bringing it to the ground with claws and teeth.

_'G.U.N. doesn't have enough power to give all these robots life, there has to be a radiation someplace.'_

_"I have noticed this also dear Shadow, the moving shelled vehicle in the center holds the fusion reactor."_

Shadow spun, his long whiplike tail cleanly slicing through the body of three robots. His ears perked up in attention, he stiffened his tail and glanced at it.

Sharp quils resembling razors mimicked fur similar to a lion's tail. Beautiful yet deadly.

He spun, twisting in a similar fasion of a spin dash, letting his tail fly like a blade, slashing almost twenty robots. Literally around nineteen.

He lowered his front paws into a crouch, a deep threatening growl broke from his throat. The robots backed away and with a chilling howl another shadow wolf leapt in. Taking Shadow's flank.

_"You are doing well, but are still weak in battle."_

_'I resent that!'_

_"Silence Shadow."_

Mephiles snarled and balanced on his hindquarters, he loudly howled with such coldness and fear, but shadow could tell something else, Mephiles was calling to darkness.

Black arms seemed to reach up from the ground stabbing through the robots and humans inside with a bloody mess, they screamed, for only the airborne machines survived.

Shadow leapt at the tank hiding the radiation, he dug his back claws in and started slashing the armor with his front claws as if he was digging a hole. A small tear finally gave and Shadow clawed a clean hole into the hull, men inside started to blast their guns as the tank was now destroyed.

The bullet shells seemed to sink into Shadows flesh and drop out at the tip of his tail, no internal damage.

The men screamed as the shark head reached and snapped inside the tank, grabbing one man's head and pulling. The man desperately grabbed onto a welded in hands.

_Snshhhhsp! _The man's head was brutally ripped off, his head exploded like a water balloon, guts and brains coating the inside of Shadow's mouth, mixing with his thick saliva.

Shadow reached in again, grabbing a mans shoulder with his jaws, then yanking quickly up, the man went airborne. Ten feet….twenty feet…..thirty feet…then started falling back down to earth.

Shadow turned back to the last man, ignoring the strange slurping noise as the body hit the pavement, and this time dropped down to his shoulder, his forearm scrambling inside the tank, clawing all nearby weapons to bits.

_"Shadow! The animals have become aware of our presence."_

Shadow growled deeply, making the man inside the tank, the last survivor, tremble greatly. His arm pulled back and he turned ontop of the tank, eyes focusing on the three animals.

Blaze and Silver skidded to a stop, watching the two monsters turn towards them. Sonic gasped.

"Whoa! What are people feeding wolves these days?" He asked, watching as Mephiles snarled loudly.

"Those aren't wolves, those are Mephiles's monster. High ranking on his attack force." Blaze stated, charging up a fireball.

Silver levitated a green platform under his feet, Sonic braced himself.

Shadow eyed the three, as did Mephiles.

_"You are more aware of the blue hedgehog's tactics as I with the Iblis sealer and her friend. Take Sonic and kill him."_

_'With pleasure.'_

Shadow roared, spit and blood flying from his maw. He lunged skillfully at Sonic who raced to the right, avoiding the swipe.

Shadow growled, his spiky quills/mane rising in annoyance.

"Go for the throat!" Blaze shouted to Sonic, she jumped to the left, getting clawed by Mephiles.

Sonic panted, obviously tired from his fight earlier, however Shadow was just getting ready.

Shadow hissed, and snapped at Sonic, swiping and flaring his tale. Sonic yelped and avoided the blade of the tail, but the stalk of it swiped his stomach and sent him flying into a nearby building.

Glass shattered as the blue blur hit the window and fell into the wall behind twenty some feet away.

Shadow calmly walked up to it like a large cat and leapt inside the building. His claws shattering the glass into powder.

He growled lowly and his eyes swept the scene, easily seeing with the blue and purple background.

Sonic was dead silent. He was sitting under a counter, just under the dog thing. It's neck was right over him, scanning the room. The pulsing veins were just a punch away, but that could possibly kill him.

Sonic closed his eyes and hoped for all he was worth he could pull off one of Shadow's tricks.

_'Chaos spear'_ Sonic thought bitterly, not at all pleased when a little blue spear came into his hand, silently twisting and crackling with energy.

Shadow suddenly reared, snapping his head down to take a chunk out of Sonic. However he _didn't_ expect a large blue spar to nail him in the face.

He howled and screeched in agony, clawing and slashing almost three inch grooves into everything he touched. Sonic rolled, dashing out of the room, but not fast enough to avoid the long and razor edged tail.

He grunted a it slashed at his midsection, not a lethal hit, but a surly painful one.

Sonic staggered outside, he had already sent a message to Tails, telling them that he needed backup. He tripped from a fallen G.U.N. robot and staggered, trying to get back up to his feet, only for someone to life him up.

"Knux!" Sonic exclaimed, surprised the Echidna would come.

Knuckles rolled his eyes, clenching his fists.

"Yeah yeah, where's the dog I can hit?"

Shadow screeched like a banshee, blood dripping from his face where some of the flesh had been burned off. His horse sized body reared and he flared his quills, spitting out blood and snarling.

It was silent a moment, before Knuckles sighed.

"You said the thing was a mutt, this is a _flipping horse!"_

Shadow hissed and slashed his tail, causing a nearby robot to explode in flames.

"Yeah, well I just need help right know." Sonic grinned weakly; the cut was taking its toll.

_"Shadow! Silver is turning to you, I shall take Iblis."_

Shadow turned, only to be knocked to his side by a furious hedgehog.

Shadow squirmed, trying to get up, but green bonds suddenly pinned him down.

"Knuckles! Sonic! Get out of here! These things are from Mephiles. They'll kill you!"

_"Oh really? And who seems to be doing the killing here?"_

Shadow spat back, Silver of course couldn't understand him.

Blaze cried out, Sonic looked up and bolted, catching her flying body; he grunted under the extra weight but ran back to Knuckles.

Shadow looked up to see the confident Mephiles slowly walking towards the five.

Shadow began wiggling again, tail thrashing and spit flying. Mephiles sat on his flanks, looking over the four heroes.

_"Stop fighting Shadow." _Mephiles calmly said in Shadow's mind, also growling lowly out loud.

Shadow immediately went limp, just watching the four. Knuckles seemed surprised.

"Those things can speak?"

"It was never proven, but it does explain why they are so high on Mephiles' attack group."

Blaze explained. Mephiles blinked calmly.

"Think we can take it?"

Sonic whispered, Mephiles yawned, looking at Sonic with a critical eye.

"Doesn't matter. Tails is coming. He has a translator on the plane." Knuckles shot back and shadow's ears twitched. Shadow suddenly stiffened and he moved his neck to look at Mephiles.

_'Mephiles, do you have an idea what will happen if I use Chaos energy in this form?'_

Mephiles had a black look in his face before he let out a low hiss.

_"I believe your powers would be manipulated in the arts of the darkness. They may not be the same as before."_

Shadow wiggled once more, Silver clenched his fist, keeping the energy tense, Shadow growled lowly and focused on Silver.

_'Chaos Spear!'_

Tendrils of black energy spawned in the air, slashing through much like his normal spears did. Silver yelped and rolled, avoiding the blows. Shadow leapt to his feet the instant the bonds shattered, walking to Mephiles's side, he calmly sat and Mephiles gave a little nod.

Loud roaring of a plane was heard as Tails and a few others landed just behind Sonic. Tails looked out, and pressed a few buttons, a large microphone came from the left side of its hull. It was pointed towards Shadow and Mephiles, so Mephiles took a few steps forward.

He growled deeply and stared at Blaze and Silver, the translator did its work.

'Submit defeat hedgehog and cat' the machine translated, Blaze clenched her fist, fire growing in it.

"Make me dogmeat!" Shadow snarled at the comment, not a translation just a show of annoyance.

'I must say, it has been a while since I have fought with you' the translation went again; Blaze grew a puzzled look on her face.

"We never fought, all creatures like you have different markings. I am _sure_ we never fought."

Shadow snickered and sat down, eyes on Sonic.

'We have fought Blaze. You insult my abilities. We have fought numerous times and yet you are to defeat me.'

Tails sent out a green light that Shadow recognized.

'Scanner!' Shadow hissed his voice not recognizable. Tails froze.

'You are foolish to resist, join us and live.'

"Never! We shall never join Mephiles!" Tails shouted, Shadow growled and tensed, Mephiles was still calm.

_"Are you against the option of letting them know who we really are?"_

_'I have nothing to lose…I would refrain from it…..but this seems to be the best time.'_

_"Change back when I do."_

Mephiles roared loudly, letting his crystal quills spike upwards to make him look bigger.

'Pity you dare challenge us. There is no hope for you in your limited power.'

Mephiles roared jumping down closer to the five.

"We'll stop you and Mephiles! As long as I'm the fastest thing alive I swear on it!" Sonic shouted, Mephiles turned to look at Sonic, a calculating look in his eye.

'This only proves you were made to stop Shadow the Hedgehog, The Ultimate Lifeform. Don't tell me you didn't know!'

Mephiles hissed at Sonic's blank and shocked face. Shadow roared and jumped down, Sonic growled and threw a punch, Shadow dodged easily.

"Sonic! Stop it! You can't take one of those demons by yourself!" Blaze shouted, but sighed in relief as Knuckles joined in on the fight.

Shadow swirled his tail, slicing a centimeter off of one of Knuckles dreadlocks.

"Hey!" He shouted, before getting thrown into a wall by Shadows foot.

"I'll kill you demon!" Sonic shouted at Shadow who stiffened. Mephiles also did before he burst out in cold laughter. He jumped away from Blaze and Silver, up onto the remaining body of a tank.

'Oh how ironic fate can be.' He laughed, Shadow growled and jumped up next to Mephiles.

'A pity, it truly is how you dare go against us and join humanity. You all know how humanity ends, it ends with _oblivion.'_

Mephiles hissed, staring at Blaze, who gasped and eyes widened.

"No….no it can't be…" She whispered, Mephiles howled loudly, translating as he went.

'Ah, the cat has a brain, she knows the truth.'

Blaze backed away, shaking her head.

"Shut up Mephiles!" She screamed.

Knuckles and Tails gasped, Sonic's jaw dropped, Silver tensed and Blaze continued shaking her head.

Mephiles blinked slowly.

'So be it Blaze.'

Mephiles whispered.

"This isn't possible; Mephiles shouldn't be this strong already." Silver muttered, looking away.

"Um….didn't Mephiles look like a Hedgehog?" Sonic whispered, Knuckles shrugged.

Mephiles melted, turning into thick smoke, gathering at the base of the other demon that blinked like this was normal.

It suddenly exploded in thick black swirling smoke, the five gasped, backing away and the mist sunk into the shadow that Mephiles vanished into.

There, above the debris stood Shadow the Hedgehog.


	13. Shattered Gems

Sonic gasped and Shadow looked over at Sonic, eyes betraying nothing. Blaze snapped first.

"Traitor!" She screamed and Shadow said nothing but his eyes were fiery.

"Humanity is the traitor. You've seen the future Blaze, Silver. You see what becomes of me. You wish for that to happen? You wish for me to be murdered?"

Shadow spat and Silver's eyes widened.

"You've seen the future?" He gasped, Shadow smirked, a dark gleam in his eye.

"I've seen the past, future, and present. Now Sonic, give me the Chaos Emerald and I will postpone your death."

Sonic clutched the blue gem he had in his hand; he glared and pressed his left hand to his gut.

"We were friends Shads, why? WHY?" Sonic screamed, tears almost coming to his eyes. Shadow blinked.

"I am not friends with my killer."

The area grew colder, and for once, Mephiles wasn't the cause.

Tails looked at the trembling Sonic, Shadow blinked calmly. Knuckles clenched his fists.

"Mephiles lies." Knuckles barked, Shadow flinched slightly and met with Knuckles' gaze, deep loathing in his eyes.

"Lies? I've seen many things Knuckles. You think that Sonic didn't kill me? Well that's hard to believe when you've seen your own_ corpse._ I checked with Sonic, he said he'd kill me. You think Mephiles can change Sonic's mind? I've seen the humans, so I take revenge. G.U.N. deserves what they get."

Blaze gasped, looking out at the battle field for once. All the bloodied and mangled corpses, the death and reek of burning flesh.

"Humans are weak. Let us punish the foolish world of Humanity."

Silver looked away, pressing his eyelids together and exhaling clumsily.

"You brought your death upon yourself, Shadow. If you've seen your corpse then you should learn not to challenge the humans."

"I learn what I must and do what I can. Now, tell me Blaze, how _ever_ did you get Iblis inside of you?"

Blaze gasped, the fire ball in her hand blowing out. Her eyes got dimmer and her face seemed to get whiter.

"You can't hide from fate Blaze." Shadow growled, fire making his fur dance and him seem dark and for once, evil.

A cold chill raced through Shadow then vanished again; Shadow slightly saw Knuckles shiver then the area behind the group get slightly darker.

_"I agree completely Shadow, fate has twisted luck."_

A cold whispery voice echoed from behind the group. Shadow gave a curt nod, watching in slight glee as a dark black and slightly dark purple form rose from the ground.

Tails and Knuckles cried out, backing away as a duplicate of Shadow seemed to stand there.

The real Shadow shivered.

"You do realize how strange you look to me right?" Shadow asked, Mephiles looked up, green eyes swirling with dark thoughts.

_"You've mentioned it a few times."_

Blaze was at a lose, move towards her new enemy Shadow, or stay her ground near Mephiles. She turned and jumped a few feet towards Shadow who scowled.

_"Get the Emerald Shadow, then we are done here."_

Shadow turned and looked at Sonic, who gasped and looked to Knuckles with sad eyes.

Knuckles gasped and shook his head.

"No, there is no way I'm doing _that!"_

"Oh? You want that _thing_ to get them instead?" Sonic growled back, tossing his blue Emerald to Knuckles, Shadow gasped, fully realizing what he was about to do.

Bright blue light glowed across the area, Mephiles hissed and recoiled, shadows at his feet. Shadow jumped, lunging at the gem, but Knuckles was to quick.

"Chaos….RELOCATE!" Knuckles shouted loudly.

It seemed as if the gem exploaded.

Blue light raced across the ground like a scanner, bathing all that lived in bright blue light. Tendrils seeped through the ground, seeming to scan through the walls of nearby businesses.

The scanning light passed over Shadow, and a large white and Red light erupted from his quills, his gems hiding spot.

"He had two!" Tails hissed in surprise and fear. Not long after his plane erupted in yellow.

"Where are they going?" Sonic shouted over the loud rush of air as the Chaos Emeralds seemed to melt and blow away in the wind.

"Where they find peace!" Knuckles shouted back, obviously not happy that _all_ of the Emeralds were leaving.

Mephiles was in rage, he spat and hissed in anger, before seeping back into the ground and into Shadow, who himself was shaking with fury.

"You _fool!_ You have no idea of what you have done." Shadow hissed, he himself was full of anger, but he couldn't let his bloodlust show.

"Mark my words _Sonic,_ The next time we meet, will be your _death!"_

Shadow hissed, turning and vanishing with the speed of his legs. Sonic collapsed panting and with his eyes closed. But behind those lids, he could only see Shadow glaring down at him from above.

_"I am not friends with my killer."_


	14. The Choice

Shadow walked along the southern part of the city. The rundown apartments that the gangs owned and Hobo's lived in.

A few gangs spotted him coming down the street, they pulled out weapons they had, hand guns, baseball bats, kitchen knives, eventually their eyes widened and they put down their weapons.

They feared him, they thought of him as Sonic, and then they would attack fearing jail.

When they recognized him as Shadow, they nodded, claimed Shadow as he belongs with them, the dark side of humans, just as Shadow was the dark side of Sonic.

Or the fact, that if they challenged Shadow, he would gladly kill them. Not fast and quick, more like slow and ever so painful.

Shadow turned down towards an old abandoned school, he knew this area easy.

The gang inside the school had bad experiences with Shadow, and they hated him with a passion now that he had turned 'good'

Shadow walked through the open doors; he had blown them off the hinges last time he was here.

His blood red eyes scanned the area, easily picking up the stale scent of blood, stomach contents, spray paint, and multiple drugs.

Shadow walked silently through the hallway's heading towards the Gangs main meeting room.

The Teachers lounge.

Shattered glass crunched under Shadow's shoes but he paid no attention, he took a left by the office, then behind it.

He slowly opened the door, letting the slight light shine into the halls.

A large man with bandages on his left fist sat in a large chair, a small scar spread from his cheekbone to his nose. Shadow simply watched as the man snapped his fingers and three other goons appeared.

"Long time no see Shadow." He grinned, showing off his stained yellow teeth and breathe that smelt of smoke. Shadow said nothing, simply waited.

"You have nerve seekin' me out, ya' got t'at?" A deep dialect of improper grammar came from his mouth; Shadow wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"What'cha want Shadow?" He asked, grinning and stroking something, no, a handgun.

Shadow blinked slowly before leaning against the wall.

"You know where the Cobra's are." He simply said, the leader's eyes widened slightly, and he laughed.

"Ya' want ta' know where the Cob'ra's are?" He laughed; again, his goons followed him.

This was known as the Gang named the Black Hearts. They were feared throughout this area, the cops were clueless on their whereabouts, only a selected few knew of where they were. Shadow, a few local gangs, and the Cobra's. The Gangs enemies. The Cobra's were known for having hidden hideouts filed with the newest technology and painfully tricky to find. Very few people actually knew about them.

_"You see why I despise Humans such Shadow?"_

Mephiles groaned into shadow's mind, his shadow was resting on fallen and broken beer and wine bottles. Shadow shifted, now it rested on a spare chair.

"Answer my question, and I won't kill you." Shadow said, leaning back, looking at ease.

The gang leader laughed, gun now in his hand.

"You? Ya' can't hurt us with ya' fancy w'rds an' such. I' shoot ya' b'fore ya' move!"

Shadow blinked looking at a man with a long riffle behind the man.

_"He's dead."_ Mephiles simply said, gliding away without anybody noticing, well the man with the riffle did but he choked and crumpled before he could say a thing. The gang leader gasped as black smoke ran from the man's ears, nose, and mouth, before finally blood rushed out off his eyes and mouth, his body stopped moving and Mephiles retracted from the corpse, finally happy with something's death.

"You see Cliel? I didn't take _one step_." Shadow said, dark thoughts twisting through his mind. The room shivered before the leader, or Cliel grinned.

"Ahhhh, glad ya' back Shad's." He laughed, but froze as an iron grip crushed Cliel's windpipe.

"Call me that again, and I'll let you choke on your calf muscle." Shadow hissed before letting the man drop, all fun and games gone now.

"They're southr'n Valley, abband'n coal mine." He couched, blood shone on the cool tile beneath their feet. Shadow turned airily, a small smirk on his face.

"Please seeing you again Cliel."

Shadow walked away, turning south to meet the coal mines, yes, that would be a suitable place for Mephiles and himself.

Sonic rested on a white bed, bandages wrapped around his midsection and arms slowly turned red with the blood he was slowly losing. Thankfully the bleeding would end any minute here.

Knuckles had a few bandages on his fists and a whole lot of burn marks from the broken blazing shrapnel.

Blaze and Silver had their fair share of Mephiles poisoned cuts, and Silver had a broken rib from when the demon wolf threw him.

The group just couldn't get used to the idea of Shadow being a demon wolf.

"Here, maybe some TV will help?" Rouge questioned, wincing at the awkward silence. She flicked on the TV and the first thing she saw, was a talk show, a man with bandages around his arms and the G.U.N. logo on his shirt.

_"So what did you see?" _The female talk show host asked, the man shivered.

_"It…It was horrible. I watched my teammate be plucked out of the tank by a large shark mouth, and the other be killed in seconds flat. I ducked, trying to hide as much as I could. Then a giant arm of the thing came down, all the way up to its shoulder! It was scrambling around, like a giant mixing spoon, clawing up debris and destroying the tank."_

The woman nodded, sympathy in her eyes and a little tear running down her cheek.

_"How are you alive?"_

_"The…The monster, no, a different monster talked to it, by snarling, and it just….left. After a bunch of fighting and yips, I…I looked out of the tank. The…The entire rank was killed, blood and machines everywhere. I didn't see the demon things again, I did see our local hero Sonic though, and it seems that he fought them off. So much b-"_

Rouge quickly turned off the TV, the house even quieter. The stairs creaked and all heads snapped up. Sonic limped down, his wounds had stopped bleeding and he had a dull look in his eye.

"Sonic! You shouldn't be up!" Amy scolded jumping to her feet, but before she could get to Sonic, he looked directly at Tails.

"Go to the ARK, get those tapes, I have a feeling we'll need them."

It seemed that Sonic used all the strength he had in those words, for mere moments after; he collapsed, passed out to darkness.

* * *

**I think that's all for today. **

**If you're confused at all, send me a review and i'll answer it in my next update.**

**Reveiw if you want, everybody likes reviews. They prove that people are reading their story.**

**However, i just look at the trafic. Yeah, alot of people are reading this.**


	15. The Cobra's nest

Shadow stood at the old rusted iron gates that guarded the property of the old coal mine. He wasn't a fool however, he knew they would have put steel in-between the metal rods to preventing bending.

Mephiles came up with the answer.

Shadow could never explain how strange it was to turn into mist; it had the same concept of his demon wolf transformation. Mephiles couldn't hold the form if Shadow didn't will it.

But the two slipped past the bars with ease.

The old dead grass didn't hide the trip wires from Shadow's eye. Shadow easily walked towards the entrance of the mine shaft. He didn't want to break anything inside of the mine, so he, very calmly, knocked twice.

Nothing sounded, until the 'caution' door slid away, two guys stood there, one with a tazer the other with a rifle. Shadow gave a slight nod and the guys were confused, until Shadow grabbed the first one and easily broke his neck.

Mephiles took care of the other easily, and soundlessly.

Flickering fire was the light source inside the mine shaft; easily tricking tourist into thinking it was abandoned. But slight footprints guided the way.

He turned right, rubbing his hand along the shaft, until he found a switch. A small, but definite switch.

_"Open the door, I shall kill them all."_ Mephiles whispered a slight demonic grin in his voice.

Shadow hit the button and the wall trembled, giving way to an underground lab of sorts.

It was slightly like Eggman's, or a mix of G.U.N. and the ARK, it was special.

But then around nine gang members rushed in.

Mephiles split off, spreading thin until he was a large wall of mist, which crashed down onto the people like a wave.

The mist retracted, and all the men were dead, a simply factor of extreme pressure in extreme speeds.

A few more men saw this and rushed out, wildly firing guns.

On impulse, Shadow shot off multiple chaos spears, all dropped to the floor dead.

Shadow walked towards another door, he easily hacked his way through and stopped.

There, in a large chair was a man. He had black hair and grey eyes, a small smirk and he was petting a human pet Rottweiler.

"Hello, I must say, you took care of my ranks quickly." He simply blinked, the smile never leaving his face.

The dog whined, looking at Mephiles in the floor who silently hissed. The dog growled but the man ignored it.

"I am Venom, leader of the Cobra's; you are Shadow I take it?" He asked, tilting his head slightly, Shadow crossed his arms.

"Nice place you have here, perfect for us." Venom lifted one eyebrow; Mephiles was slowly advancing on the dog in the ground.

"Us? Oh you want my base." He nodded understanding. He was to….calm, like he expected someone to barge in here and take Shadow away.

"Yes, I'll give you three seconds to get away with your life."

The dog was growling at Mephiles, who finally annoyed, lunged at the dog.

Venom smirked a little.

"Get him Scorp." He said, obviously talking to the dog, he frowned and looked back when his dog didn't charge.

His dog was sprawled on its side, a large hole in its chest and a single organ sitting on its back.

The man was at loss of words, it was obvious the dog was genetically enhanced, perfect for taking down creatures like Shadow, but it _wasn't_ enhanced to take down demons.

"I gave you three, now you die."

Those were the last words Venom ever heard.

Mephiles reared back like a snake, green eyes scanning the room.

_"I can take this base….but it'll take my strength, I'll be out for at least a day."_

"Do what you feel you must."

Mephiles leapt from the ground like a large fireball, twisting and turning, then diving straight into the white ground.

The shockwave brought shadow to his knees as the ground started turning. Thin crystal, purple and black, spread across the ground in a breakneck pace, forming large crystal arches.

Shadow gasped, as the body of Venom was attacked by black strands of darkness, almost seeming like ropes as it seemed to melt into the crystals, speeding up the progress even more.

In an instant, the entire gang of Cobra's, were eaten by the rock. The passages turning dark and scary, the lab equipment ready for their own use.

In seconds, Mephiles had created a lair.

The dark fog known as Mephiles seeped up from the ground, barley floating as he used his strength. It clumsily wafted forward, before almost collapsing. Shadow walked forward, finding the crystal had a surprisingly rouge surface. His shadow casted on Mephiles, who greedily jumped in, taking Shadow's extra strength. Shadow felt the cold, his power edge away slightly, he felt Mephiles moving around, getting settled.

_"Go…..third hallw-way, left d-door."_ Mephiles whispered, much like when he was inside the scepter.

Shadow started walking, taking the third hallway and the only left door.

To say he had a large bedroom would be an understatement.

His room was easily half the size of a mess hall.

Black obsidian stone made the walls, but it somehow radiated light so Shadows could see. The ground had crimson carpet and a large purple crystal bed that was still soft.

Many other things filled the room, Shadow was confused on _how_ Mephiles had actually gotten most of the stuff in here, but at that point, he didn't really care.

The bed was soft, very nice on Shadow's muscles which slowly relaxed. He didn't need to move that much, or at all basically. He had no use for his extra strength anyways.

Power, that was what Mephiles noticed first when a small but steady stream of power was fed to him through their bond. Mephiles greedily took it, recovering power to speak, Shadow was growing weaker, but he was going to sleep soon anyways.

_"Why? Why are you doing this Shadow?"_

Shadow chuckled, slightly eyes closing and the walls dimming.

"I have a few questions Mephiles."

_"Ah, I know what you will ask, Shadow. My ranks will rise and grow from my power, they need a place to spawn and breed."_

"That's why you made this place."

_"Yes, the crystal is made from my dark essence; they will slowly spawn and reproduce. For now, I must rest…. I shall speak to you soon dear Shadow."_

Shadow let his mind drift, and the energy bond break. He slowly sank into sleep.

* * *

**Hey! This is my most veiwed story!**

**Amazing what the power of Sonic can do huh?**

**Review if you feel like, i'm not those crazy people who wont update unless you review or something, it just helps me increase the enjoyment you guys get from suggestions from you guys.**

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**~Oceanbreeze7**


	16. A Truce of Sorts

Tails had a problem.

He and Sonic had gone over the plans of what to do on the ARK, but it didn't help Tails as much as he wanted.

How to _get to the ARK_ was the problem.

Sure, he could have just used his X Tornado, but that required at least 2 Chaos emeralds, all they had was the fake yellow because the Chaos relocate never effected it.

Tails banged his head on the table, groaning quietly. No matter what he could do, he couldn't get to the ARK with only one chaos emerald.

"What's wrong little buddy?" Sonic asked from his spot on top of a broken machine. He still had the wrappings on him, he healed quickly, but not _that_ fast.

Rouge had her arms crossed, thinking deeply, but then sighed.

"Sonic….I-"

"No." Sonic growled, Rouge looked slightly shocked, but yet again, this _was_ Sonic.

"It's the only w-"

"No."

Rouge narrowed her eyes slightly. There was only one way in which they could get to the ARK.

"Pl-"

"I don't care if Shadows _life_ is on the line. We are not getting help from _him!"_

Silver looked up now, so far, Knuckles, Tails, Silver, Blaze, and Cream were watching with confusion and slight amusement. Amy was out shopping.

"You teamed up with him before!" Rouge whined, Sonic turned, arms crossed, back facing her.

"That was because the Earth was in danger."

"And it isn't now?"

Sonic was silent, he was slightly stiff, Rouge almost smirked, she had Sonic now.

"I can easily convince him, he knows Shadow is a threat, so he would team up."

Silver looked over at the two, before setting down the book he was reading, wincing as his broken rib was tweaked.

"I don't know who this is, but we need all the help we can get."

Blaze nodded with Silver's words, a strange ember of hope and a twisted light in her eyes.

Sonic looked uncomfortable but sighed and Rouge smirked.

"Good job Hotshot, cause _you're_ the one calling him." She laughed. Sonic's eyes were huge, he spun, looking for a quick escape.

_Crack…Crack…_Sonic winced as Knuckles' fist's popped, getting loose for some punching'

"Fine, fine." Defeat was the only tone heard in Sonic's voice.

"Tails, put him up on the big screen, use this." Rouge tossed over a white disk, Tails caught it easily and started activating and breaking through numerous firewalls to get to Video Chat not accessible by the government.

"And….We….are….On!" Tails cried out, the screen turned fuzzy before a rough image of Eggman appeared, automatically adjusting.

Eggman reeled backwards in shock, eyebrows raising in surprise.

"Sonic."

"Eggman."

That was it for the introductions.

"Is there a reason for you to have contacted me Sonic? And more importandly _how did you contact me?"_

Eggman growled, Sonic sent over a cocky grin, finally getting back into character, but Eggman suddenly paled.

"How did you get those wounds?" He asked somewhat quieter. Sonc flinched, looking at his blood soaked bandages on his chest and arms.

Sonic said nothing but sighed quickly. Eggman spared glances over the group in the background, noticing wounds on all the main fighters, even Knuckles had bandages on his fists, and Silver with large burn wounds, and a strange slash/burn on his side.

"It was Shadow, wasn't it?"

All eyes snapped to eggman, some distrusting, others confused. But more so shocked.

Eggman shivered looking at the group again, Sonic clenched his fists.

"Yeah, it was him."

Knuckles mumbled out, crossing his arms in a 'humph'. No matter how many times Knuckles did that, Shadow did it better.

Eggman closed his eyes behind his sunglasses and frowned deeply.

"He caused the mass murder in your city also? Killing G.U.N. Ranks again?"

Rouge snapped her head up.

"Again?"

Eggman looked shocked. He looked around the group, and Silver had his eyes closed.

"It was as I feared." He mumbled, Sonic looked over, eyes wide and confused.

"What?"

"Shadow killed the G.U.N. ranks, when we met in the meadow? He had a wound from Mephiles on his arm; I only suspect Shadow has been training with the demon."

Eggman's jaw dropped, a strangled raspy sound came from his throat.

"Mephiles? As in Mephiles the dark?"

Blaze nodded.

"The Demon that was trapped inside a scepter? He escaped?"

"And took the mind of Shadow." Rouge snapped back, her mood changing quickly.

Eggman shook his head, muttering under his breath.

"We need to get to the ARK to find out some things about Shadow, so we can change him back."

Eggman leaned back in his chair, one eyebrow raised. Sonic started speaking through clenched teeth.

"We need a lift, since we have no Chaos Emeralds."

Eggman pursed his lips, putting on a thinking face.

"I'll take your little friends, but not you."

"What!" Knuckles shouted, glaring so hard the vein in his head throbbed. Eggman smirked.

"That's my deal little Hedgehog, meet by the powerplant tomorrow for a ride."

With that, the connection broke and Sonic sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll Chaos Control up with the fake Emerald."

Rouge nodded and the others slowly made their way upstairs.

Tails reached into a drawer on his desk, tossing out the fake Emerald. Sonic caught it on instinct and Tails nodded, Sonic smiled and walked up, heading towards his bed.

*_(Next Day)*_

Sonic, Silver, Blaze, and Knuckles ran towards the power plant. Tails, Amy, and Cream were hunkered down inside the X Tornado, Rouge flew beside them.

Sonic and his runners gradually slowed, Sonic snorted at the giant rocket with the crudely painted logo resembling Doctor Eggman's face.

"Really Eggman?" Sonic called out, yelping as a large metal door almost hit him.

He glared at the strange metal ramp but got to his feet. Rouge and the X Tornado landed only seconds after.

"Here Sonic, we'll be up their soon." Tails tossed over the fake Emerald and Sonic nodded. The others started to board the rocket, Sonic pulled away Silver.

"If Eggman tries anything, pin him down, don't let him hurt my family."

He mumbled, Silver nodded a slight smile on his face. Sonic turned, running far into the forest, taking out the Emerald only when the rocket was far in the sky.

_"Chaos Control!"_


	17. Birth of Victory

Shadow awoke the next day, maybe even the next, he didn't know.

He was tired, feeding his energy to Mephiles so he would become stronger and be able to spawn his minions

His crimson eyes stared up at the ceiling, looking at all the Stalactites hanging high above, sturdy enough to never fall.

Shadow ever so slowly got into a sitting position, he swiftly bent every joint, cracking them and getting the muscles ready for use.

He got to his feet, groaning and slowly walked to the door, ridding himself off all tiredness.

He opened the door, gasping in surprise at the faint pulses of light that moved through the crystal, on instinct Shadow reached inside himself, stumbling against a crystal shard in panic.

The coldness was there, faint, as of Mephiles had partially separated.

_'Mephiles?'_ Shadow thought with slight panic, sending his thoughts flying through the link. Slowly, the chill came back and Shadow relaxed.

_"Ah, I see you have awakened, dear Shadow. Come, I wish to show you something…"_

Dark tar like goop rose from the ground, forming into a hedgehog shape, and then finally growing dull grey highlights.

Acid green met blood red.

Mephiles turned, now in his Shadow look alike form and motioned for Shadow to follow, no matter how strange it was. Shadow obliged and followed silently.

Mephiles was eerily silent, but you could almost feel the dark energy pulsing from him, his green almost lizard eyes scanned the walls, if he could grin, he would have been.

Mephiles turned down one of the hallways leading towards the main lab, Shadow followed scanning his surroundings.

_"By summoning one of my creatures, they can easily split and reform into whole, which is how the population is created."_

Shadow nodded and the door opened.

Mephiles saw Shadow flinch slightly, but he couldn't blame him.

Large tubes filled with a strange swirling smoke. Badly written words were carved into the top of each tank, near the bottoms of the tanks two sometimes three black blobs fizzled around the edges, growing slowly.

_"In the closest chamber is my attack liege, the demons I changed you into."_

Shadow studied the tank, only one black, but very large blob sat on the bottom, curled into a ball. If you focused hard enough, you could very faintly see a muzzle, paws, and a long tail.

_"On the left are the servants, the simple drones that follow my orders."_ There was a slight snicker in Mephiles's words, Shadow looked at the tank and his eyes widened.

Strange demon/hedgehog like creatures hung from the crystals above. The tips arms, and legs glowed a haunting purple, some seemed to dance around, smirking with fanged teeth as their arms did a little flap, gliding around seemingly effortless.

They flipped around, seeming to melt into darkness but punching no effort to attack.

_"They are weak, useless, but replaceable. Easiest to create."_

Shadow shivered, letting his gaze drop from the demon like creatures. He knew what they were; they were clones, twisted warped clones lacking the power of a Chaos Emerald to create perfect copies.

The last tank was giant, strange ball like creatures with thick arms and a single eye seeming to be in its torso. It had a thin 'tail' that seemed to support it, giving it the appearance of being a giant tornado with arms. It had thick black and purple strands of 'skin' wrapped around a pulsing pinkish light that spread throughout its body. Four strands of blue gave it the appearance of a ribcage.

_"Ah…the negative energy from a Chaos Emerald, an Iblis knockoff."_

Shadow was slightly intimidated by these monsters, they were asleep, and only two of them for now, thank goodness.

Mephiles turned; the Demon Wolf was almost finished, a final set of razor blades sprouted from its tail, sharpening its color contrast.

"How long until these….demon wolves are ready to fight?"

Mephiles tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing at the still form of the demon wolf.

_"These 'Demon Wolves' as you name them are spawned from my essence, they are spawned with the knowledge of how to fight and simply grow larger in darkness as I increase in power."_

Mephiles seemed slightly 'touchy' in this subject, so without question Shadow dropped the topic.

The Demon Wolf suddenly snapped its eye open, looking at the two with large slit like eyes filled with molten gold much like a cat's.

It rose to its large claws, not much bigger than a small human dog; its fangs were bared in a dark grin or smirk.

It locked eyes with Shadow, then Mephiles, before sinking down in a respectful bow of sorts.

_"As you see Shadow, highly respectable, and very intelligent."_

Shadow said nothing but watched as the Demon Wolf twisted, seeming to snap off a chunk of its back before walking away and vanishing into a crystal strand. Shadow gasped softly.

_"Yes, the main plot of the Crystals…"_

"They're giant tunnels that they can travel through and gain strength in." Shadow whispered, the Demon clones seemed to shriek with laughter high above, resembling primates slightly.

Mephiles seemed to smirk; he gradually leaned against one crystal, brushing its surface with a claw. Black energy shot away, confirming Shadow's thoughts.

_"As you can see Shadow, this base is indestructible."_


	18. Shadow's Past Part 1

Sonic gasped slightly, looking at the ARK in its dusty dirty glory. Even though it was over 50 years old, is technology still surpassed the common technology today.

Sonic walked slowly, taking in the sights the strange space station had to offer.

"Hey Sonic!" Sonic spun to see a yellow fox running at him, tails flying everywhere.

"Hey little buddy! How'd you get here so fast?"

Tails grinned and his two tails swirled playfully.

"Eggman didn't want to come up; since we were lighter we got up here faster!"

Sonic nodded and Tails started looking around, soon the others came quickly.

"Hello Sonic, the ride was easy." Blaze calmly spoke, blinking slowly. Sonic grinned and looked around, Sonic stepped forward.

"We'll be able to cover more ground if we split up. Silver, you can come with me. Rouge, go with Knuckles. Blaze go with Amy, Tails, you can just look through the databases."

Everybody nodded, sending out a chorus of 'rights'. Sonic and Silver turned and raced off, heading towards the south labs.

They spread by the almost midnight black tunnels with extreme speed. Sonic and Silver each and a little light around their necks, thanks to Tails that is.

Silver used some of his powers to detach some of the dust from the observation tunnel. Sonic gasped as he looked through, test tubes and chambers were far below.

Silver winced looking at some of the animals inside. Lizards, petrified forever in all forms sat, some perched, sleeping, and one even yawning if that was possible.

"This….Is this what this research lab was for?" Silver asked, looking at the strange reptiles frozen in animation. Sonic closed his eyes.

"I think they were trying to make a weapon or something, some crazy Echidna legend about lizards and Chaos energy or something. I never really could get it out of Shads."

Silver exhaled quietly, a little tornado of dust blew and swirled away.

"This is the ARK, where Shadow lived?"

Silver asked, both of the two had jumped down to the main lab below. Silver had cleaned off a little plate number on a test tube. _Gn0056_ A strange Rattlesnake with six eyes.

"Well…Tails was right about the security cameras." Sonic summed up, looking at one that slowly scanned the room. It was old and in bad shape, but it still worked.

Silver turned and avoided some of the more disturbing test tubes such as a lizard with organs on the outside.

"Hey is it just me, but the farther to the left we go, the more natural these things look?" Sonic asked, looking at a one and a half headed newt, he quickly looked away shivering.

Silver did so also, comparing the results in the far right chambers to the closer left.

"Yes, I believe you're right. Let's continue left and maybe we'll find Shadow's room."

_Amy & Blaze_

Blaze led the way, a small fire lightening up the rooms as Amy walked through them with her.

"It's so creepy up here." She whispered, clutching her hammer even closer. Blaze merely blinked.

"Indeed."

They turned down a small tube on an incline, slowly descending carefully.

"Where do you think we are?" Amy whispered as the smooth pipe turned to thick masses of bundled chords and wires. Blaze looked around wide eyed.

"I….I think we're in the core, or center."

The two gasped as a large cavern opened up, a strange shrine resembling the Master Emerald's was in the center, a dried ring of acid around the shrine.

More noticeably was the giant skeleton at the base of the shrine.

The smell hit Amy and Blaze's noses immediately, they both cringed and Blaze sent out long fire whips to hover around the room.

Blaze walked over, looking at what was left of the flesh and bones.

"It…It looks burned almost….."

"I _think_ it's the Biolizard…..From when Sonic and Shadow teamed up to save the world."

Blaze nodded, turning away to walk out of the tunnel, honestly, the smell was just getting to her.

_Rouge & Knuckles._

Rouge silently glided along behind Knuckles, who was still mad that they got paired up.

Knuckles stomped past, looking at the numberless doors.

"Hey Knuckie, don't ya think we should start looking _in_ the doors?" Rouge mocked, easily flipping into one without Knuckles response.

She stopped and looked around once inside, a dusty bathroom.

She walked out to see Knuckles raised eyebrows, she crossed her arms.

"Bathroom, but that means more important rooms are nearby."

Rouge turned and jumped to the room just next door on the left. She kinda had to anyways because they were at a dead end.

Knuckles walked in also and they stiffened.

The room was almost bare, one small grey bed in the corner and a little lamp with it. Their seemed to be a light spot on the floor like it had been laid on multiple times.

A little picture frame sat on the table, totally blank like it had been shattered and the picture stolen.

Rouge and Knuckles exited, turning to the last room in the hallway.

As soon as Rouge opened the door, they gasped.

Now the door handle was slightly warped, showing that someone came and went from here often since the ARK's demise, now Rouge could tell why.

The room would have been a light sky blue; a small bed with a white canopy was against the wall. A white side table with a little alarm clock and numerous pictures faced outwards, and then a wall and mountain of stuffed animals filled a little island between the wall and bed. A bookshelf with multiple colored books on earth showed their spines, as if the reader liked to look at the pictures.

Knuckles and Rouge immediately knew whose room this was, without looking at the pictures.

"Maria…" They both whispered.

"Guys! I hacked on to the camera's footage, come on up to the bridge!" Tails shouted through the little wristwatches all wore. In seconds Silver and Sonic raced in from the farthest part of the station, then Amy and Blaze, then finally Rouge and Knuckles.

"So you got into the system mainframe?" Rouge asked, gliding over next to the fox.

"Yeah, just download this and…we're in!" Tails shouted gleefully.

A large screen appeared in front of the group who gasped in wonder. Slowly blue lines and green dots appeared, writing also. _Security key, which sector which time._

Sonic blinked, walking over and clicking on the sector he had just been in, 60 years into the past.

The screen blurred before turning a light grey tone, the rough outline of a lab buzzed into vision, more shockingly, people rushed around in white coats and clipboards.

"It worked!" Tails shouted, pumping his fist into the air, Amy tilted her head sideways and watched as a few tests were done to the strange lizards.

"Can you move through walls Tails?"

A quick nod was the answer, as he shifted to a different camera further to the left of what Silver and Sonic saw.

Rouge suddenly gasped, her eyes getting big.

"Go to the room facing north! I caught Shadow in it once!"

Tails nodded and a few more buttons, the camera shifted and a little hallway came in, more shockingly, a man in a white coat was walking through.

"He looks like Eggman!" Amy exclaimed, Sonic frowned. Tails followed the man going through another room, this time, everybody shouted out a not so quiet 'no way!'

**************************************************************************************************************88

A large tube was in the center, around thirty monitors were around the tank, monitoring things like heart rate, blood pressure, light sensitivity, the whole bit.

Inside the tube was a strange green liquid all the way to the top. It seemed really thin and runny but Tails couldn't be sure.

Inside the tank however, was a small black shape, curled into a ball, quills barely recognizable.

"No way….Is that…." Knuckles' eyes were almost bugging out of his head

"Shadow?" Rouge whispered eyes wide and not blinking.

************************************************************************************************************88

The man pressed a button on the side and the liquid slowly started to drain away.

The door opened and two other men walked in, watching as Shadow slowly sunk to the bottom of the tank, and the wires detached themselves.

They appeared to be talking, and Tails fiddled around with the controls, finally accessing the voice communications.

_"So this is the 'Ultimate Life form?"_

_"It doesn't look harmful."_

_"Shut it Yarron, it's a cure, not a weapon."_ The doctor snapped back, slowly the form began to rise, shaking visibly. Then he rushed over.

_"Hey there little guy, you hear me?"_ The one visitor on the left asked, wiggling his fingers like Shadow was a pet cat.

_"He was programmed with brains David; no doubt he can understand everything we are saying."_

Shadow very slowly got to his feet, leaning against the glass for support.

"You know, this is kinda creepy seeing Shadow as a child Hedgehog." Knuckles shivered slightly and Silver looked annoyed.

"Hey, for us Hedgehogs, I'm guessing that he's about…twelve years old."

Amy was wide eyed.

"How old are _you_?" She asked, tilting her head at Silver.

"I'm the same age as Sonic. 16."

******************************************************************************************************************8

Shadow seemed to growl, his lips curling back and his crimson eyes staring hard at 'David'.

_"Y-You sure that He's n-not dangerous?"_

_"Oh, he could kill you if he wanted to. He's just mad I'm guessing because you insulted his intellect."_

Shadow looked away, rolling his eyes slightly. He took a step towards the open door. He stumbled slightly on the steps, blinking and cringing as the doctor grabbed him and set him on the ground.

_"Grandfather! Where are y-oh!"_

A little girl, around the age of 8 looked inside; her big blue eyes were locked on Shadow, who blinked looking at the girl confused.

_"Maria! How many times have I told you not to come in when I'm working?" _The doctor snapped.

"So that's when Maria and Shadow met." Amy confirmed, looking at the screen with interest.

_"Who is that? He's so cute! He looks like a little shadow with his coloring!"_

It was silent about five seconds before every single creature burst into full scale laughing attacks. Even Tails attempted to hide his laughter but only brought tears to his eyes.

"Shads…." Sonic wheezed from his spot on the floor clutching his stomach.

"Was named…..by…..a…..Eight year old Girl?" He laughed out, crying again; Tails saved the moment by pausing the video, letting all alive laughs it out for around thirty minutes. Blaze recovered the fastest.

*****************************************************************************************************************8

_"Maria! Specimen 991043S is dangerous!" _

Maria seemed to pout, Shadow just watched closely.

_"Can't you just call him Shadow? It's much shorter than 9110- whatever it was!"_

_"Fine….'Shadow' may harm you Maria, just….just go back to your room or something."_

The doctor sighed and Shadow tilted his head. The girl giggled and waved to Shadow who blinked.

_"Hi Shadow! I'm Maria! Do you want to come play with me?"_

_"Maria! You aren't allowed to play with the experiments! How come you never wanted to play with the ones before anyways?"_

_"You know I hate lizards! I like hedgehogs! He's all fuzzy!"_

Shadow raised an eyebrow.

******************************************************************************************************************8

At this point, the group has been done laughing, but this brought Silver and Sonic tumbling to the floor again.

Maria beamed like a little angel, her eyes big and blue, Shadow gave a little smirk as the doctor groaned, covering his eyes.

_"You know I'm weak for the puppy dog eyes!"_

_"Please Grandpa? Let me show Shadow around!"_

_"No! We need to run a few tests for Shadow! Find his strengths! His intellect! He has no time for-"_

_"Maria."_

The gang dropped jaw, now they had expected Shadow to sound hard and emotionless as they always had but….Shadow sounded like…_Sonic._

"Dude, this is really messed up." Knuckles blinked looking at the now paused screen.

"Did…..Did Shadow just talk….._like me?"_

Shadow sounded light and carefree, slightly confused but very determined just like Sonic in a sense, heck, and his voice was even _younger!_

"I….I have a feeling a lot happened for Shadow to have changed that much." Blaze whispered to Rouge.

Tails hit the play button and the rest watched.

******************************************************************************************************************8

The Doctor dropped his jaw and the two visitors started talking excitedly in hushed whispers. Shadow looked towards Maria who was beaming.

_"Yay! Come on Shadow! Here, I'll show you Earth!"_

_"Earth?"_ Shadow was completely confused, Maria gasped, a shocked look on her face.

_"You….You don't know what Earth is?...Come on!"_

Shadow yelped softly as he was dragged and stumbled out of the room, at this point, away from the drop jaw shocked professors.

Knuckles was on his knees laughing.

"Okay! Who here thinks Shadow's just like Moron here?" He grinned, all hands rose, even Amy.

"I can zoom up the speed so it's not all the boring stuff and tests." Tails noted, Rouge walked forward grinning.

"Shadow told me about a little game they played once, I want to see it….my- my….myself!" She finished easily finding the dates needed.

She leaned back, now watching the screen with a satisfied smirk.

"Hang on Sonic; this is going to get _real interesting."_


	19. Shadow's Past Part 2

Shadow was all ready, healed and full of energy, and hate that is.

Mephiles danced in his shadow, thick almost sadistic humor lacing at his explanations of how to kill all humans, but Shadow didn't have a say against it.

They had located a Chaos Emerald, oh the Irony.

The Emerald was hidden within the Black Hearts, or more known as Cliel's gang.

"Let me take them out, you don't need to take your ranks."

_"Gladly, show them no mercy, let them feel the pain of humanity."_

Shadow turned, after nodding of course, and took off in a fast run, only a little yellow and black trail was left as he ran across the ground.

He was quickly in the abandoned district, at first he took towards the school, but stiffened as he realized that they wouldn't have been there.

He turned , eyes scanning the surrounding the buildings and easily spotting some gang members from other gangs, possibly hiding the Black Hearts.

Shadow looked out coldly, some people quickly scattered but one looked him up and down, then turned to run off.

Sadly Shadow was faster.

The man gasped as a steel grip closed around his neck, pinning him to the wall.

He gasped as he felt blood start to pool in his mouth and blood vessels in his eyes burst.

"Where is Cliel?" Shadow asked, dropping the man who gasped at fresh air and vomited blood.

"Ware….hous-" The man wheezed before falling over limp, Shadow had crushed his throat too much, the man had died.

Shadow took east towards the only warehouse in the district, easily taking to the roofs and moving too fast for the human eye.

Shadow stopped on the top of a high abandoned apartment, easily looking down at the warehouse. He spotted a few people moving inside the rooms, mostly Cliel who sat on an armchair for a throne, a Yellow Chaos Emerald in his cup holder.

Three guards gasped and looked towards the wall, where a large smoking hole was, a black hedgehog was smirking, eyes filled with bloodlust.

"I believe you have something of mine."

Cliel was freaking out, he had seen the reports of G.U.N. being killed, but never could he imagine it as Shadow's doing. His friends were being murdered, the most brutal ways possible. He winced as George screamed and gurgled as he drowned in blood bleeding from what was left of his face.

Shadow looked up, his white gloves stained almost black with the drying blood, his dark eyes didn't help Cliel in anyway.

"Time for you to die Cliel, don't worry about the Cobra's, Venom was _too easy to kill."_

People who said dying was easy are filthy liars.

Cliel screamed, being gagged by his very own calf muscle ripped out of his flesh, he was dying of blood loss but being gagged by himself, his very own leg.

Shadow picked up the Emerald carefully, a little blood smeared across the surface.

"Thank you for your consideration, have a nice day." Shadow muttered, walking out of the building and sending a large Chaos Lance that way, letting the building explode as well as its inhabitants.

Shadow stalked away, eyes flickering with satisfaction.

He however didn't notice Eggman who watched the scene from afar, gulping in fear before contacting Tails.

"Tails? We got a problem."

*ARK*

The group had found Chairs by this point, easily watching the screen as if it was a movie. They understood one thing, Maria and Shadow were even closer than Tails and Sonic if that was truly possible.

"This is crazy, it's amazing how much Shadow's let back in this thing." Amy confirmed for everybody else's thoughts, they easily blinked and some smiled.

******************************************************************************************************8

Shadow sat across from Maria, a half a deck of cards in front of him, the other in front of Maria.

He had been living on the ARK for more than a week, already best friends with the girl, but now….this was competition.

They each had seven cards in their hands, ready to play the fastest card game even invented.

_"Ready?"_

_"Set."_

_"GO!"_

The both yelled, Maria went first, slapping down a 6 of hearts, Shadow slapped down a 6 in diamonds in seconds, both of the two were slapping down cards furiously.

Only Sonic could keep up, see how the game was plaid, the rest moaned and clutched their heads.

"Are you sure Sonic and Shadow aren't twins." Silver kidded to Tails who snorted.

"I mean really! Look at him! He's laughing! _Laughing_! When have you guys _ever_ heard _Shadow laugh!"_

Sonic said, eyes huge and mouth almost numb.

Shadow jumped to his feet in victory, Maria growled, she had misplayed.

_"Hah!"_

_"Hey! Not all of us are speedy little demons like you are Shads!"_

"Holy crap." Knuckles mumbled, Sonic just dropped his jaw, Rouge shook her head.

"You see why he despises that name? He only let Maria call him that." She whispered looking at the paused screen.

"Oh man….if I had known….." Sonic whispered looking away.

"_True, True." _Shadow laughed dancing just out of reach of Maria's swiping arms.

_"You know…..Sometimes it's hard to imagine you as one of Grandpa's experiments…"_

Shadow looked to the floor, a sad frown on his face, but he quickly whipped it off.

_"Come on, let's go to the observation deck."_

The two easily raced off laughing as they ran passed the fear stricken people who caught glance of Shadow. They skidded into the room nobody was ever in and walked towards the big window that showed the earth.

"That's where Shadow stood when you guys were trying to stop the ARK! That's when he cried!"

Amy shouted, eyes wide and looking at Maria.

"That's where I stood…" She whispered, finally understanding why Shadow was so mad when she stood there.

_"Earth is so pretty from up here…..think we'll ever visit it?"_

_"I'll visit it along as I'm with you Maria, I'll do anything for you!"_

"He must have been a mess after she died." Blaze whispered, Sonic winced noticeably.

_"But…..But what happens when Grandfather needs you or something?"_

_"Then I'll run away! I'll be with you forever Maria!" _Shadow laughed in a carefree way and Maria giggled.

"Hey Guys, we have a problem, Eggman just called." Tails gave a sheepish grin as he paused and started downloading the tape.

"What does Egghead want?" Knuckles groaned and Rouge tilted her head.

"Actually…Shadow just found a Chaos Emerald."

"WHAT!"

Tails winced and rubbed his neck, Silver just sighed.

"We need to get that Emerald, Sonic, can you Chaos Control two people?"

Sonic shrugged clutching the fake Emerald.

"Tails, get everybody down to Earth as soon as you can, Silver and I will hold him off."

Tails nodded and quickly the others ran, getting to the rocket. Silver walked to Sonic, clutching the Fake Emerald with him.

"Right, let's do this!"

_"Chaos Control!"_


	20. Swimmin' with 'da Fishies

Shadow smirked a little before walking backwards, simply walking right off the building, but vanishing with a yellow light before he fell even three feet.

The dark creatures hissed with amusement before vanishing, as if fleeing back towards their master.

Tails and Amy sighed in relief, but shouted out in alarm at Knuckles holding his hurt fist, teeth clenched as firmly as they could go.

"I'm fine." He growled out, looking over at Sonic who had his eyes shut and a firm frown on his face.

"It's hard to believe that shadow's the same Hedgehog as in the video." Blaze whispered to Silver who also nodded.

"That's not the problem, I heard Mephiles just barley speaking to Shadow." Sonic sighed looking up to Tails.

"The next Chaos Emerald is in the bay."

Sonic winced from his spot inside the plane with Knuckles, Tails, and Rouge.

Knuckles and Rouge were experienced swimmers apparently, so Sonic would have to stay and distract Shadow.

"Okay, here we go!" Tails shouted, spinning and ejecting Rouge and Knuckles who arched into a perfect dive, blasting into the water.

Sonic shivered looking at all the bubbles as the two sunk far below. Tails turned upright and turned for a landing, putting up a little floating area he skidded to a light stop, just above the water's surface.

The light blue water sparkled in the sun, but no. Sonic clung onto the plane for dear life, not trusting his weakness at all.

"Sonic, come on. Let go of the Tornado." Tails tried to coax in Sonic's large frightened eyes.

"I'll let go when we're on dry land!" He hissed, clutching the plane tighter.

Tails sighed and looked under the water the two forms were gone.

Shadow winced from his spot on the ice. Mephiles stood next to him, they both had one weakness.

They couldn't swim.

They weren't nearly as afraid of it as Sonic but tended to avoid water if they could. Mephiles was cold so he preferred ice, water just wasn't their thing.

"How are we supposed to get the thing?" Shadow muttered, Mephiles shifted his weight.

_"I….I am not sure….I could possibly send down some of my ranks but none are trained in water movement."_

"Should we wait for Moron to get it then just snatch it from them?"

_"I shall not lower myself to do just what that 'Eggman' does."_

"So we just let them take the Emerald?"

_"Air attack, let them get it and into the air, then we shall attack and give them a fighting chance."_

Mephiles closed his eyes and slashed the air, sending a long black wave out, splitting the ice into a thick crevice. From the crevice two large black birdlike creatures flapped out, with heads, necks, and tail similar to a dragon, but the talon and wings of a great raven.

_"These are the only ones in my airier attack, do not harm them more than needed."_

"I shall never harm one of our ranks if it is not needed."

_"I have faith in you, dear Shadow, do well."_

Shadow nodded and silently mounted the one black dragon-bird. The other looked at Mephiles who mounted his.

_"The targets are four miles southwest of here, floating on a plane I assume."_

"The X Tornado, Sonic will be in it, he's horrible with water."

_"You make the offer, they refuse…."_

A Small dark smirk came across his face as the bird creature started flapping.

_"Then we'll play a little 'game'"_

Knuckles and Rouge easily swam under the water, Rouge used her wings as rudders to steer herself while Knuckles relied on brute muscle strength. They drove down right towards the reef far below. Both of the them could feel the energy.

Fast water current blasted out of nowhere, Rouge yelped almost being swept away. Knuckles grabbed her with his left hand, his right buried deep inside the reef. She nodded her thanks and Knuckles climbed into the small crevice where the Emerald signals were coming from.

He spotted a green and blue light, _now_ he was confused.

Rouge peaked in and spotted why Knuckles were surprised. Not one, but _two_ Emeralds sat in the sand, Rouge quickly snatched up the dark blue as Knuckles took the green. Together they blasted upwards towards the surface.

They both surfaced through the waves spitting out the water that managed to get into their eyes. Tails wasn't far off, waving his arms to attract their attention.

Knuckles and Rouge started off, kicking and flapping slightly.

"Hey, Shadow show up yet?" Rouge coughed tossing over the Emerald to a startled Tails who also had Knuckles.

"Not yet, the water's clear, let's just GO!" Sonic yelped as a large wave came and tilted the platform slightly.

Rouge rolled her eyes and Tails started up the plane quickly with the extra help of the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic jumped up and hastily buckled in, not wanting to fall out into the water, Rouge and Knuckles also buckled in and Tails sped off into the nice sunny sky.

"So no Shadow and two Emeralds?" Rouge asked, she crossed her legs in an eased motion.

"Normally there's a catch to this."

Knuckles growled and clenched his fists. "There's not always a catch you know!"

"Spoke to soon Knux, incoming!" Sonic shouted as Tails spun into a Barrel roll, avoiding a large blast of fire.

Rouge gasped and looked out of the window, two large dragon birds were flying horribly fast flanking the plane, it seemed as if the things didn't even fly but just glide with extreme speed. The tips of its black feathers twisted and twirled violently giving it the illusion of flames. The long serpentine tails looked strange compared to its long dangerous black talons.

Tails panicked and looked forward, looking for a way to lose the monsters.

He nearly screamed.

Shadow stood on the tip of the X Tornado, not at all affected by the speeds they were moving.

He blinked slowly and the others gasped as they recognized him.

"Shadow!" Knuckles spat, he and Sonic had already kicked open the back window, now they were walking up the plane towards the offending Hedgehog.

"Knuckles….Sonic." Shadow greeted icily, eyes trailing over the two, before landing on Tails and what was in the screen in front of Tails.

The Chaos Emeralds.

"You're not stealing these Emeralds." Knuckles growled and Shadow narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists.

"It is not stealing if I properly beat you for them."

"As if you could!" Sonic shouted taking a sliding step forward.

"You forget Sonic, we are hundreds of feet above water which is still continuing for many miles. You may be a good swimmer Knuckles, but if you and Sonic fall, you're going to have to get Sonic."

Sonic instantly flinched and moved a little closer to the center of the plane, Knuckles frowned seeing his disadvantage.

"All Hedgehogs are bad swimmers Shads, you know that! You're just as bad as I am here!" Sonic shouted.

A long ark of crackling yellow light sped over Sonic's head, he ducked and clutched to the ship for dear life.

"Don't call me Shad's." Was all Shadow said before vanishing.

Knuckles scrambled for a grasp as he was knocked aside by a strong punch. Shadow turned and swung his foot, knocking Sonic down.

With both heroes' on the ground, Tails sharply rose, sending Shadow slamming into the hull.

He then twisted and started to head down, sending the dazed Shadow sliding off the nose of the plane.

He scrambled for a handhold and glared furiously at Tails who gave a little wave. Shadow managed to stop just on the tip, slowly climbing back up.

"Shoot him!" Rouge shouted, Tails pressed on the laser button, blasting Shadow from the tip.

Shadow twisted, his smoking fur turning, and stuck one arm out.

The Dragon-bird grabbed him in one talon, swinging him up onto the black saddle awaiting him. Mephiles came up beside him from his spot under the Tornado.

"They refuse to hand over the Emeralds and plan on distracting us until we get to dry land."

_"Then we must stop them before."_

"Do you have any swimming units?"

_"None, besides nothing could damage the plane from this altitude anyways."_

"Then it's up to us."

_"As it always is."_

Together the two Dragon-birds screeched and rose upwards, flipping so their talons could grasp a wing as the opposite did the identical. The birds stopped flapping and turned heading into a steep dive, sending the plane with it.

"Pull up!" Rouge cried out, Tails was frantic with the controls, trying to tame his plane once again.

Shadow smirked and Mephiles seemed to grin as the plane groaned and hurtled towards the water.

Shadow hissed as his beast suddenly reared back in pain, blood that looked almost neon against its scales dripped down its face from the wound there.

A similar would suddenly appeared on Mephiles's beast who let go and swerved upwards for another hit, Shadow's hissed, and spat, great plumes of fire bursting from its maw.

Knuckles yelled and ducked behind a little ridge on the hull, the fire ended and the Dragon-bird jumped off, forcing the plane so low its belly skimmed the surface of the water.

"We have slight damage on the left wing! What's going on out there Sonic?" Tails shouted, pulling back up for an attack.

"Those Turkey's can breathe fire!" Sonic shouted, frowning as a Dragon-bird avoided incoming missiles.

"You think Shadow owns those things?" Knuckles shouted and Sonic shrugged.

"Knux! Throw me! But make sure I hit! Taking a bath isn't on my to do list."

Knuckles grinned and grabbed Sonic's arm, easily spinning around a few times and letting his blue friend go.

Sonic curled into a ball and increased in speed.

Shadow winced as his Dragon-bird cried out as a blue blur smashed into its neck, sending it backwards, back down towards the X Tornado.

Sonic scrambled up, yanking on the wings to get onto its back like he had done multiple times with Eggman's robots.

He reached up to climb onto its back, and blinked surprised at the awaiting person.

"Hey Faker, sorry but he's _mine."_

Sonic yelped as a hard fist collided with his face causing him to tumble down towards the X Tornado.

Shadow turned into a dive, easily matching Sonic's free fall pace.

"It takes skill to ride one of these guys, not anybody can." He smirked , lightly tugging on a scale at the base of the Dragon-bird's neck, causing it to arch up and send a large fireball at Sonic.

On reflex, Sonic twisted and curled into a ball, speeding up and avoiding the blast.

Knuckles jumped up, grabbing Sonic and smashing back down into the awaiting seat. Sonic uncoiled groaning.

"Crap, those aren't just Shadow, but shadow's actually riding one." He moaned before collapsing backwards.

"Tails, hit the speed burst." Rouge commanded.

Tails obliged.

* * *

**There we are!**

**Took me a while to do this one, i dont really have an example for the Dragon-birds...it's basically a dragon with no back legs and feathered wings that are midnight black.**

**If you guys have stories and can't get them posted, just ask me! I know how to fix it!**

**I have a poll on my home page also guys! I need ideas on what to write after this!**

**~Oceanbreeze7**


	21. Make your Move

Mephiles and Shadow both growled as the Tornado sped into the distance, seemingly to vanish into a tiny spec.

"They'll be on dry land by now." Shadow huffed, annoyed by the fact he couldn't get them.

_"Possibly, I damaged their fuel tank severely, they will not be able to get back to their shelter, and we can pursuit after them."_

"I can Chaos Control us there."

_"Excellent."_

Shadow twirled so the bellies of the two Dragon-Birds were nearly touching. He softly grabbed the opposite Dragon-Bird's talons and focused on the Chaos Emerald stashed in-between his quills.

_"Chaos Control!"_

The two vanished with a large plume of yellow light.

Tails pulled up on the controls, trying to stop the plane from crashing in the city, the fuel tank ad burst and now they were running on vapors.

"Hang on!" Tails shouted, finally giving in and sending out the landing gears, letting the plane skid across the road and into a nearby park.

Tree limbs were smashed as the X Tornado cracked them off as if it was nothing, slowly the plane skidded to a stop, slight smoke emitting from its engine.

"Everybody okay?" Tails coughed and a few quiet nods were his answer.

"Give up the Chaos Emerald."

Heads snapped up to see the Dragon-Birds walking on the two legs like a peacock did, its head far back and eyes big, assessing the damage and what they could do to make it worse.

"Never Shadow!" Sonic shouted, the Dragon-Bird on the left turned slightly, showing the black and red Hedgehog on the back of it, shooting daggers at Sonic.

"We battled and I believe we won, we have all rights to that Emerald." Shadow swiftly said, Rouge gritted her teeth.

"You haven't won as long as I'm still breathing!" She shouted and lunged, turning into her Tornado kick.

The Dragon-bird took manners into its own hand, firing a large fireball that knocked her to the ground, boots smoking.

_"Interesting how such pitiful creatures continue to fight even when they have no hope…."_

The Echidna, Fox, and Hedgehog below choked in shock, Rouge had never met Mephiles so she did not know of what this was.

The other Dragon-Bird turned , showing another exact copy of Shadow, the only differences were the colored markings.

"What? Two Shadows?" Rouge asked, eyes blinking and a puzzled look on her face.

_"Is this little bat colorblind, dear Shadow?"_

"Sometimes I believe the whole world is." Shadow scoffed, letting Mephiles chuckle.

_"I am Mephiles, little bat, Mephiles the Dark." _Mephiles hissed, finally walking out into the sunlight, lizard eyes scanning her own, and bathing in the fear swimming in her irises.

She backed up slightly, leaning deeper into the seat.

"Give up the Emeralds Tails, and we won't harm you."

_"Yes….give up the Emeralds, little fox."_

Tails blinked, slightly shocked Mephiles would agree with Shadow, but he shrugged it off.

A crowd of people were starting to gather, little children hid behind their parents who stood their ground only a few meters away from the battle ground. G.U.N. started to bring in ranks, large robots had their weapons up and on the two groups.

_"We are attracting a crowd Sonic, do the right thing and end this now."_

Sonic looked around, at a breaking point of what to do. Tails slowly reached down and into a small compartment for emergencies, quickly hiding the glowing gold ring clenched in his fist.

"I….I…." Sonic was frantic, looking at the poor people that were holding their kids close.

"Hand over the Emeralds and nobody will die tonight." Shadow said with no emotion.

The crowd gasped, in shock at Shadow's careless tone of voice when discussing death. A woman with red hair in the background was talking to a camera that was broadcasting live.

_"It seems that Shadow is indeed being controlled by a 'demon' as Miles 'Tails' Prower said a few days earlier at the event of an abandoned school bursting into flames. Here is Shadow apparently ready to attack our hero's once again from the back of a strange creature. Another hedgehog looking identical to shadow rides on the back of another-"_

Shadow blinked coldly and looked at the woman dead in the eye, she faltered and immediately forgot all she was going to say, she felt cold, like there was nothing she could say or do….air….there was no…..air…..

Sonic gasped as the woman easily fainted to the ground, just by Shadow looking at her!

Mephiles would be smirking if he could, Shadow simply knocked out a woman with a single look, which alone took him a few years to do. Shadow was growing darker, soon, nothing could turn him back.

Sonic closed his eyes, and felt something be nudged into his hand, he gripped it quickly and kept his eyes closed.

"So Sonic," Shadow started, pulling the Dragon-bird back so it balanced on its tail, its wings extended and talons ready to rip ribbons.

"Make your move."

* * *

**Ohhh! It's battle time!**

**Now 3 out of the 7 Emeralds have been found, what's Mephiles and Shadow planning?**


	22. Found and Lost again

In instant Sonic reacted. Throwing himself at Shadow and absorbing the ring in his gloved hand.

He was a blur, smashing into the belly of Shadow's monster, sending it flying into the trees wailing in agony as its scales was thrown off by needle sharp quills.

Shadow jumped, letting Mephiles send the Demon-Bird back, he knew Mephiles wouldn't blame him for that.

The two landed on the ground, Sonic being only a few feet away with a slightly gold aura twisting over his fur.

Shadow was mad, his Dragon-Bird thing was killed, and he happened to like that one!

"Bring it on Faker." Sonic growled, Shadow snarled in reply.

"Everybody! Get out of here!" Rouge cried out, flapping above the quickly fleeing crowd. Tails was trying to hold off Mephiles, but it was proving harder than he thought.

Sonic and Shadow were in a tangle of strength. The extra energy running across Sonic's skin was being absorbed into Shadow's inhibitor rings, slowly giving him energy.

Sonic swung his fist in a punch and Shadow blocked, swinging his elbow up and smashing Sonic's muzzle.

Sonic's skin didn't give letting nothing happen to either.

They growled and circled again, Sonic finally lunging again.

Shadow twisted, gaining the upper hand as he smashed his fist into Sonic's back, flipping his over and onto the ground. Sonic spun onto his back, ready to stop the incoming punch, but did _not_ except a large crevice to race after him.

Shadow watched in slight satisfaction as the Chaos Abyss split the earth, the deep crevice chasing after the blue blur.

Sonic rolled, but the crack split into a little fork, surrounding the hedgehog and slowly getting bigger.

"Sonic!" Rouge cried, diving down and throwing him from the crumbling island to safe ground.

Sonic growled and launched his own attack, Shinning Lance.

Shadow flipped, avoiding the large blue bursts of energy similar to his Chaos Spears.

Shadow was angry, he wanted the Chaos Emeralds, but Sonic kept getting in the way!

_"Shadow, we are done here."_

Mephiles stood on the tip of the X Tornado, Tails hung limp in his hand, dangling by his scruff. Blood seemed slightly from a small wound just above his left eyebrow, his tails hung limp and one arm slightly broken.

More noticeably, the two Chaos Emeralds were in his left hand, held high above the plane and Dragon-Bird sitting just below the tip.

"Tails!" Knuckles shouted, Shadow looked over. Apparently Mephiles had….taken care of Knuckles, when Shadow wasn't looking.

Three of Knuckles' dreadlocks seemed to be ripped out, large wounds blossomed over his muzzle in a cris-cross pattern due to Mephiles's hidden claws, a large chunk of fur and skin was missing just over his right rib cage and his legs were mangles, purely broken.

"Tails!" This time Rouge shouted it, she _was_ attacking the Dragon-Bird who just kept snapping at her, toying at her, but now simply took in her shocked and horrified face.

_"Let us go no-ARGH!"_ Mephiles hissed as a large blue bolt of energy pierced through his torso as his legs were stationary.

The blue light coiled over, vanishing into the air, easily showing the tennis ball size hole cleanly slicing through Mephiles's torso, just where his heart should be.

Sonic stood on the back of the plane, a sad, horrified, and slightly beaten look was on his face as he panted and gasped for breath.

All breathing seized until Mephiles closed his eyes, a small smirk on his face before turning to face Sonic.

Well, his head turned, completely backwards with audible snaps and cracks as his body stayed looking forward.

_"Did you really believe you could kill me, Sonic? A single blow through the heart?"_ Bitter laughter came from Mephiles's mouth less muzzle.

_"I have no heart, you can't kill me."_ Mephiles hissed, the two Emeralds glowed slightly as Mephiles drained them of their power a little.

His torso seemed to bleed black tar, slowly tar filled the wound, turning it a strange crystal purple. It sunk back into his fur, turning it tar black, the color spread, branching out like feathers in some spots before turning jagged and hardening into purple and blue crystals. His hands sharpened into diamond tipped blades almost for nails. Along his wrist more crystals jutted out like a glove, the same design mimicking his feet, letting long spikes of crystals cover both his feet like boots.

His black and grey quills darkened and lightened, exploding into long shards of shattered rock, giving the ragged yet deadly look still. Finally Mephiles blinked, the whites of his eyes bleeding into red showing the lizard green even more.

Long purple plumes of fire exploded from his feet, dancing up his legs, but he ignored it, he turned looking back at Sonic.

_"You are all weak, simpleminded and so breakable…" _Mephiles mused, enjoying the horror filled look on Sonic's face.

"Impossible." Sonic breathed, backing away, eyes large and frightened.

_"So many ways for you to die right now Hedgehog…But it is not my turn to kill you."_

"Wha?" Was Sonic's smart comeback, eyes huge and he took a step back.

_"No, that would be disrespectful wouldn't it be, dear Shadow?"_

"Stealing a kill isn't only disrespectful Mephiles, it is also slightly….._offending."_

_"True, true, after all, you know these…..creatures better than I, dear Shadow."_

Mephiles ended the scene with a little bow, clawed hand still holding the Chaos Emeralds, he had dropped Tails long ago back into the Cockpit.

Sonic was fighting the urge to just lunge at Shadow, who in the least didn't look at all shocked or surprised with Mephiles's change.

"You know I am fighting the urge to attack you right at this moment, the fact we fought earlier isn't helping."

Shadow mumbled, Mephiles snickered and waved his hand, a large crackle and a purple bolt raced across the ground. It opened slightly and started adding suction, trying to suck in all around it.

"Until next time, Sonic." Shadow growled, jumping backwards into the pit as Mephiles simply melted into it, the pit closed and all chaos ended.

The town was peaceful once again.


	23. Unspoken Command

Sonic groaned, hitting the side of the house with his fist, eyes closed and teeth clenched.

"Three." Rouge moaned, she craved those gems! Tails had his eyes closed in sadness as they opened the door.

"SONNIKKUU!" Amy squealed running towards Sonic who didn't even flinch, there definitely was something wrong.

"We had the Emeralds….then we lost them." Knuckles growled, punching the wall and leaving a little hole.

Blaze and Silver walked around, Blaze was holding a glass of iced tea and looked slightly confused.

"Did Shadow steal it from you?" Silver asked, Sonic suddenly growled and gave Rouge Knuckles much to his annoyance.

"No….and more importantly, how come you never told us MEPHILES WAS A GIANT ROCK?"

The glass in Blazes' hand exploded, littering the floor with liquid and glass shards. Silver said nothing.

"He….He….turned to his…..crystal form?" Blaze whispered and Sonic nodded in anger.

"It's worse than we thought, we need to hurry. Lucky for you guys we were out searching all day. Thanks to Cream and I, we found a little….gift."

Rouge gasped at the light blue and white gem sitting in a little showcase in the living room, now five were found.

"I checked our sources and apparently Eggman holds the two last Emeralds."

Tails smiled slightly.

"So all the Emeralds are found! We only need to get Eggman's and we can take on Shadow!" Tails pumped his fist in the air and Knuckles frowned from his seat on the couch.

"If we give Shadow all the Emeralds couldn't he just go super and kill us all?" He pointed out, Sonic grinned.

"Not if Silv, and I go super first and split up the Emeralds between us!"

Silver gave a short fast nod, Knuckles sighed thinking.

"What if…..What if Shadow is too strong for you guys?" Sonic shrugged, showing his carefree nature.

"Then we're in trouble aren't we." He gave a cocky grin and Knuckles frowned even more.

"Have you guys even found a weakness?" Rouge sighed, leaning back in the lounge chair in the corner.

"Shadow's almost indestructible, able to fall through the atmosphere and live, able to be attacked by a giant lizard and survive an entire military out for his blood."

She took a sip of a drink, probably also iced tea. She crunched down hard on the ice, letting the cracking noise silence all who dared to speak.

"Face it honey, Shadow's not going to just 'fall apart'."

The room was quiet, everybody could tell Rouge had won that argument.

"Come on Cream, let's go look at those videos." Tails motioned for the little rabbit who gladly skipped away to see Shadow when he was, as she called him, all 'bubbly'

Sonic and Silver raced out of the room, eager to make a plan to get the Emeralds. Amy had left with Tails leaving only Knuckles, Rouge, and Blaze in the room.

"I know what you are thinking Rouge." Blaze started, blinking slowly in her almost Espio way.

"Wha?" Rouge stuttered, eyes wide at being caught.

"You know Sonic and Silver cannot take on Shadow and Mephiles. You are thinking of the human who can stop Shadow."

Rouge looked down, sad her plan had obviously failed.

"Don't feel bad Rouge, I am on the same side as you."

Rouge looked up startled, Blaze gave a small smile and sat down next to her. Knuckles said nothing.

"What about you Knux?" Rouge asked sweetly, putting extra charm in it.

"Honestly, I thought about this earlier, it seems to be the only way to get him to actually listen to us."

Rouge smiled and Knuckles gave a little nod.

"So it's up to us?" Knuckles asked, Blaze gave a little cat-grin.

"I am the guardian of the Sol Emeralds, similar to the Chaos Emeralds. If I believe correctly you are the guardian of the Master Emerald?"

Knuckles' eyes widened and he struggled to sit upright with his shattered legs.

"We can combine energy!"

Blaze smiled and nodded looking out the window.

"Exactly, we'll get to work on it tomorrow, heal your legs with the Chaos Energy floating around, I can feel it, so can you."

Knuckles nodded and exhaled slowly, and at a snail pace, his legs started to mend…

Tails, Amy, and Cream sat on a little couch set up in Tails' workshop so they could view the security cameras. So far, they had skipped up to four days, but nothing. Sure they had a few good laughs and tear jerk moments watching as Shadow was in agony when Maria got a little cold. At some times, Shadow acted just like Cheese!

The two were currently just staring at Earth, eyes big and watching.

"I'm, going to the bathroom." Tails said getting up, Amy leapt up to.

"I'll get some snacks!" she called skipping away.

Soon only Cream and Cheese were left. Cream got to her feet, walking up to the monitor, Cheese did the same.

"There has to be a fast forward or something." She muttered looking at the screen and finally the computer.

Cheese had been pulling on a wire, and suddenly slipped, smacking into a row of buttons that caused a large fizzing to cover the screen, sparks flying inside the room.

Cream yelped, grabbing Cheese and dropping to the floor, saving Cheese from the threat of electrocution.

Slowly, the sparks ended and Cream looked up, the security camera was on something else, another time.

The screen was continuously twisting, the lines being all fuzzy and blurring often.

Cream gasped and picked herself up, looking at the screen with four large things on it.

In a status pod, Shadow limply rested, wires and electrodes ran from his skull, connecting to his brain.

On the right, the knocked out smaller body of the Biolizard was curled up, wires also running from it. It had long steel shackles and roped pinning it to the floor.

At a computer, Doctor Gerald Robotnic and Maria Robotnic stood. Gerald was typing in things and small little energy pulses were sent down the wires connected to Shadow.

_"Why m-must w-w-w- -o thi- G-father?"_

The sound was horribly distorted. Cheese frowned and flapped over to the screen again, with a swift kick, tilting the screen back, the sound cleared up quickly.

_"The Biolizard had a meltdo__wn, it couldn't hold off the stream of energy being fed into its life-support."_

Maria covered her mouth, eyes big and staring at the lizard.

_"You mean?"_

_"Yes, the lizard's sanity temporarily snapped, causing her to turn and attack anything in sight."_

"Oh Cheese, that's horrible!" Cream squeaked, Cheese nodded agreeing.

_"Nobody was harmed, but that led us to believe something….If we could put a hidden impulse inside the lizards mind what would happen?"_

_"….Impulse?"_

_"An instinct, like how we blink or breathe."_

_"So…..a hidden impulse….would be like, a command?"_

_"Almost, if the impulse has a trigger phrase, it could easily be activated if something like this ever happens again. The impulse could be something like 'go to sleep' or 'be still'"_

Maria sent a sad look over at Shadow, she exhaled and nodded.

_"Make the Biolizard listen and fulfill the command." _

Gerald looked slightly surprised before nodding.

_"Wise choice, we need it to be triggered by a phrase, but it can't be common, if someone accidently said it….."_

Maria sighed and looked down. Gerald suddenly stiffened and looked at Maria.

_"You're reading Shakespeare am I correct? Nobody speaks in the olden dialect."_

_"Yes…I command the, to….obey thy thoughts?"_

_"I comman the, to fulfill thy spoken thoughts."_

Gerald finished and Maria nodded, he typed in a few things, then large electrical shocks traveled down the wires into the two brains.

Maria sniffled and buried her face into Gerald's shirt as Shadow and the Biolizard screamed in pain.

"Chao!" Cheese yelped, freaking out and punching the screen, causing it to smoke and turn black.

"Tails!" Cream screamed running upstairs, Tails came running, he gasped at the smoking screen and quickly hid Cream behind him as the screen shattered.

"It's okay cream, nobody got hurt, and we'll just get a new TV." Tails said cheerily, Cream sniffled and nodded, walking up the stairs with the kitsune.


	24. The Final Hope

Rouge, Knuckles, and Blaze sat in the back of the X Tornado, Tails had offered a short ride.

Knuckles had indeed healed his legs, but they were still slightly weak when he ran, so he would want to refrain from dashing.

The X Tornado turned down in a slow slope, carefully avoiding the reaching pines and thick oaks that were native to the rare and floating island. He softly landed on the grass before the shrine, not a single skid mark showing on the floating earth.

Knuckles jumped out, landing heavily, Rouge fluttered to a small rock column and Blaze twirled before landing silently.

"See ya Tails!" Rouge waved and Tails smiled before turning and vanishing into the sky, and swerving down under the rock.

Slowly the sound of the chopper faded away and Blaze relaxed, her shoulders becoming loose from their original tense posture.

They turned to the shrine, the Emerald sat softly in its spot. A bright light pulsated from it before a female Echidna stood looking down at the group, Blaze and Knuckles smiled. She had a cute headband on just by her short peach colored quills. She had old tribal clothing on including a little skirt.

"Greetings Princess Tikal." Blaze smiled and gave a little nod, Tikal rolled her eyes. Rouge shrugged and just went with it.

"I overheard your plans…..I know what you will do and I wish to assist you."

Rouge gasped and Tikal smiled looking at the Emerald with Knuckles.

"Here, let me go first." Blaze whispered, dropping her head and letting her arms lay out.

Blaze was moving her lips, but whispering words that neither Rouge, Knuckles, or Tikal could make sense of.

A flash of bright light and seven square cut gemstones slowly circled around the smiling cat. Shining Silver, Emerald Green, Ruby Red, Ocean Teal, Midnight Blue, and Stunning Yellow circled Blaze, a peaceful smile on her face.

"Your turn." She whispered in a light tone, Tikal and Knuckles stepped forward, hand out against the surface of the gem on opposite sides, they didn't trust Rouge to 'help out'

_"The servers are the seven Chaos, chaos is power, power enriched by the heart, the controller is the one that unifies the Chaos."_

Knuckles and Tikal's words seemed to echo off the ground surrounding, even a little puddle by the bottom step of the temple quivered as if a swift but silent wind twirled on it.

The Master Emerald turned a little lighter, a bright light ready to shine as more and more power was gained. The Sol Emeralds spaced out, surrounding the Master Emerald easily before rotating slightly.

_"Master Emerald hear our cry, bring Maria Robotnic back to life, the age she died and healthy!"_

Tikal, Blaze, and Knuckles shouted all at once, the Master Emerald burst in bright light, it was almost overloading, the power draining out of it to fast, but Blaze stepped forward letting the Sol Emeralds help.

Rouge yelped and dropped, protecting her face from the hot and bright onslaught of colors.

When a slight slurping and sucking sound echoed Rouge buried into the grass even more, finally looking up as the sound vanished. Apparently, it also took a few people with it.

"Knuckles? Tikal? Blaze?" Rouge cried, looking around the small temple.

The three mobians were gone.

* * *

Knuckles and Blaze groaned getting up to their feet weakly, trying to get rid of the blinding white light that forced their head to buzz and eyes to water.

"Where's Tikal?" Blaze groaned, rubbing her eyes for what seemed like twenty minutes.

"I don't know, her mortal form is very weak so it probably was forced back into the Master Emerald."

Knuckles blinked, his eyes finally adapting to the harsh surroundings.

"Whoa." Knuckles breathed, looking at the huge white marble arch that stood tall and proud right in front of the two.

Blaze blinked a few times before frowning.

"This….This looks like the entrance to the Hero chao garden." She muttered, getting to her feet and running her hands along the cool marble. A slight gold trim worked its way up to the top of the arch and softly curved into a little golden spiral.

Knuckled and Blaze shrugged, walking through the arch and through the crazy wall of relaxing mist.

"I can't see a thing." Knuckles complained, yelping and jumping backwards as a fireball grew right under his nose.

"Follow me." Blaze simply said, twirling the one way, leaving Knuckles to follow her slowly curving tail.

Blaze and Knuckles gasped as the mist suddenly cleared. Indeed it looked like the Hero chao garden, but was different still. The column on the left was made into a little gazebo, on the right a little valley was filled with flowers, the little pond was more like a small calm river with a bubbling waterfall.

It was like the chao garden, but still much better.

"This place is amazing." Knuckles breathed, Blaze nodded and spun around twice, looking at the scenery. Little birds played in the giant tree's set up on the other side of the river, just behind the large shrine almost.

"Gah!" Knuckles yelped, jumping towords Blaze who spun around with her fire ball ready.

She immedietly relaxed and smiled when she saw what it was.

"Knuckles, it's just a little girl." Blaze tisked, smiling at the little five year old girl. She had bouncy red hair and had a light sprinkle of freckles just across her nose, light green eyes looked up at Blaze and Knuckles.

"Who are you? You aren't supposed to be here." The little girl slightly demanded in a sweet voice, Blaze smiled but Knuckles didn't fall for it.

"Well, I'm Blaze and this is Knuckles." Blaze introduced and the little girl nodded.

"I'm Heather, now we aren't supposed to speak to outsiders. Outsiders aren't supposed to be here, they were banned long ago. How did you get in?" The girl asked again, Blaze didn't know how to speak this time.

"Ermm…."

"Hush Heather, come along now." A girl the age of twelve, not at all related, walked forward grabbing Heather's hand. The girl flicked her long braided black hair and walked away, teal eyes narrowed slightly.

Heather waved as she was pulled away, giving a sad sigh.

"You notice that everybody here is wearing white? I mean, like little Heather had a white cloak over normal clothes but still…" Knuckles mumbled, Blaze winced at the fact that she _hadn't_ noticed.

"Hello Protector Knuckles the Echidna, and Princess Blaze the Cat. I must say, we were not expecting you."

Knuckles and Blaze spun around to face….three adults? One was a male, bright blue eyes and blonde hair. The other was a woman with short dirty blonde hair and green eyes, the last woman had shoulder length caramel brown hair and almost black eyes.

"Yeah Yeah, now who are you?" Knuckles shot back, the man lifted his eye brown but frowned, looking at caramel head.

"Melody, fetch little Maria from the health section. I believe I know why she is cured."

The girl nodded and turned, vanishing into mist, Blaze stepped forward with another fireball ready on her hands.

"Please answer my question sir, why are we here, and how did we get here?"

The man smiled and waved around, his large white sleeve hung down slightly like a robe.

"Many people come here, but in the end leave. This is the greatest place a creature shall ever roam. How you got here, now _that_ is a different story…."

Blaze blinked, slightly confused but put out her fire.

"Knuckles, do you feel any Chaos Energy?" She whispered. Knuckles frowned and easily started searching…..and searching….and searching…

"Where's the Energy?" He whispered frantically back and she shrugged.

"You called for me Aron?" A little girl, no older than twelve asked as she ran up to the bigger man from the mist.

Blaze and Knuckles gasped as they stared at a mirror copy of Maria Robotnic in the flesh standing in front of them.

"Ah, hello little Maria. These two were searching for you." 'Aron' said, waving on Knuckles and Blaze. Maria stepped forward and pulled a little curtsy with the blue dress she wore under her white dress buttoned up with a blue gemstone broach.

"Hello! You remind me of a friend of mine….are you two mobians?" She asked, tilting her wide blue eyes.

Knuckles and Blaze looked at each other.

"Yes, we come from the planet of Mobius, however we are currently residing on the planet of Earth."

Leave it to Blaze to be so formal, Maria's eyes lit up like fireworks.

"Oh! Is it as pretty as it says? With large forests and mountains? And those little birds that vibrate when flying or how water actually falls from the sky?"

Knuckles shifted his weight. Blaze smiled softly taking Maria's hand.

"We'll show you the whole world Maria, but first we…..we need your help."

Maria blinked, taken aback for a moment but then tilted her help slightly.

"My…..help?" She asked, a genuine confused face covered her features.

"Yes….A friend of ours is a little confused and is having a little fit, we were wondering if you could help calm him down."

Knuckles snorted crossing his arms.

"'Little fit' we'll I don't want to see his temper tantrums." He muttered looking at the little waterfall.

"Well….I'll help but I don't know if I can help at all…." Maria frowned but got up, still holding Blaze's hand.

"Okay, I know you'll do great Maria. _Sol Emeralds, take us back to planet Earth."_ Blaze whispered just as Knuckes said the same, exchanging Sol Emeralds for Master Emerald.

Maria squeaked and giggled as the mist tickled their skin and fur, causing Knuckles to sneeze.

With a final pulse of light, Blaze, Knuckles, and Maria landed on the ground, just feet away from the Master Emerald.

* * *

Maria gasped, eyes growing huge as she spotted the grass and trees.

She wiggled her toes, letting them burrow into the moist dirt, and inhaled deeply, almost tasting the smells of sap and pine.

"This….is earth?" She whispered, closing her eyes and feeling the sun on her skin, she giggled softly and twirled around, removing the white cloak and letting her sky blue dress show.

It was the very same outfit she had died in.

"No way…." Maria looked up to lock gazes with an ivory colored bat, her eyes were large and jaw slightly dropped.

"Hey Rouge, did ya doubt us?" Knuckles grinned from the top of the shrine with Blaze. Maria smiled up at the two and looked over and at the sky.

"Well….Bringing back the dead…..it's just….." Rouge shivered slightly and Maria gasped, her eyes going blank.

"The ARK…" She whispered, leaning back against a rock.

"The lights… the shouting…. the guns… the pod…..Shadow….." She whispered trembling.

"Oh my gosh, Shadow! Is he okay? Did he get to Earth safely? Did G.U.N. get him? Please tell me G.U.N. didn't get him!" Maria cried out, eyes huge and frantic, she hurridly grabbed Rouge and shook her slightly. Rouge flinched.

"Shadow…..Shadow was captured I think, right after he landed on earth….."

Maria bowed her head, expecting the worse.

"They put him in a deep sleep chamber thing…..he was asleep for fifty years."

Maria gasped, looking up in shock, not even noticing when Blaze and Knuckles walked next to her.

"I'm…It's fifty years in the future…." Maria gasped, sitting down and hanging her head, breathing deeply.

"Okay, I can live with that. Let's go calm down your friend." Maria giggled slightly and got to her feet, Blaze nodded and Knuckles closed his eyes, letting the Master Emerald transport them right by the city.

Rouge gasped as her communicator blinked a few times, she quickly activated it and Maria watched with large eyes.

"Rouge here." She calmly said, looking at her nails on her left hand.

_"Rouge! Can you, Knuckles, and Blaze get down to the station? The….The attacks starting and it's not looking good."_

Tails sounded and looked worried, he was biting his lip and inside the X Tornado, flipping switches to get into a hover.

"We are on our way, how are the odds?"

Tails shrugged before looking out the window, biting his lips.

_"Silver and Sonic are ready, looking all pumped up. Amy and Cream are in separate planes I made, they're actually really good in city's evacuated, I sent a broadcast over when we first spotted the enemies moving out. Oh! And Eggman's on our side."_

Maria looked over at Blaze with an eyebrow raised.

"Eggman?"

"Ivo Robotnic." Maria's face lit up with recognition at her cousin's name. he nodded and listened more.

"Can you do a quick scan of the enemy?"

_"Already done. All of the creatures are made up of Mephiles's essence. So if we take out Mephiles, they have nothing to grow off of."_

"So, If we stop Mephiles, we stop it all?"

_"Yep, Leave that to Silver, Sonic's going after the other."_

"actually, we have a solution to the 'other', tell Sonic to focus on Mephiles."

_"Wha-"_

"Bye Tails." Rouge clicked the communicator shut and waited as the island slowly picked up speed, within five minutes, they would be ready for battle.

* * *

Tails stood infront of the X Tornado next to Sonic of the top of an apartment. Amy and Cream stood on both sides of them but a little further back, just infront of their planes. Silver stood on the far left, looking up at the now blackened and swirling sky. Eggman was in the far back, hovering in his strange circular craft, looking in the distance

Eggman had indeed sent in his ranks, almost every single machine capable of fighting, and boy would they need it.

Faintly, a long black blur stretched out, as time grew, so did the blob. Only with enhanced sight Eggman lacked, the mobians could tell what it was.

Hundreds, maybe even thousands of black disfigured copies of Mephiles, with thick black tarlike bodies, and green, sometimes red, eyes. They seemed to be laughing and smirking with the gaping holes they called mouths. Flailing their arms and whispering with almost ice shattering voices.

Just behind the strange disfigures clones, the Demon-wolves walked, each with a different personality and appearance. Some with purple markings and manes, others with neon green or a light teal. All, however had long black talons and razor tails almost as sharp as their long bloodthirsty fangs. There were easily over twenty, there were in the lead were actually two, mimicking the same appearance that Shadow and Mephiles took in battle.

In the sky a dozen Dragon-Birds flew, fireballs burning the air as they breathed them in a fearful manor.

In the center of the ring, two slightly larger Dragon Birds hovered, eyes full of hate and anger, more noticeably were the large scars that littered their face, created by a hedgehog's quills and an echidna's punch.

Four giants with a single eye and two mighty arms seemed to float behind. Their bodies ending with a tornado like point and purple veins over blackened and slightly pink flesh.

Finally, above the Demon Wolves but below the Dragon-Birds, Mephiles and Shadow hovered. The tree chaos Emeralds circled around Shadow in a continues cycle, letting him stay aloft. Mephiles was in his crystal form, dark energy holding him up.

Shadow slowly looked up, connecting eyes with Sonic, before moving his lips ever so slightly, but Sonic could still understand what he was saying.

_"Prepare to Die…."_

* * *

**Hey! I just wanted to ask a few questions as the story is slowly comming to an end. Still quiet a bit more chapters though!**

**At the beggining, people said that the plot was predictable. I'm wondering if it went the same way you thought it did.**

**I know that some of the things arn't that creative but i haven't played Sonic at ALL, i only watch the walkthroughs on Youtube, so did i get most of my facts right?**

**Please answer my questions, i respect the fact that if you don't have enough times or arn't on a system in which you can review (Ipod, Nook, Phone, Ect.) but if you're on a computer, please respond.**


	25. Fight in the sky, to win or die

Maria held on tightly to Rouge who slowly descended the fifty foot drop onto a sky scraper. Rouge had carried full grown women so she had no problem with a 12 year old girl Knuckles glided down softly, Blaze hanging by his leg with one arm, eyes scanning the air as they landed.

"Tails said they were on top of the Hillside Apartments, that's just a little ways away." Rouge nodded and everybody else started doing a brisk pace, Knuckles and Blaze running across the building roofs as Maria clung onto Rouge who flapped easily away.

* * *

Sonic said nothing but crossed his arms, looking at Shadow dead in the eye as if he was only feet away, not almost half a mile.

"Bring it on Shadow, because I don't need to live, I just need to stop you." Sonic simply stated, the group turned in a gasp, not expecting Sonic to say that. Even Eggman was in surprise, he knew this hedgehog, but…..this was the most serious Sonic had ever been.

_"So be it Sonic, you'll die in a pool of your own blood."_

"And you'll lay cold." Sonic simply said again, a slight spark came to Shadows eye. Mephiles raised his arm, in a ready stance for battle.

"Eggman, I'd get your robots." Sonic muttered, Eggman flinched and started scrambling with a few buttons before putting his hand on a lever.

Mephiles and Eggman lowered their arms at the same time.

The clones darted forward, and slots in the street opened as robots marched out. Simple clones of G.U.N. robots really with a few updates.

Tails, Cream, and Amy turned, hopping into their planes as the dragon-Birds dove, screeching in all ways they could.

Tails took off with the two girls on his flanks, spinning and easily sending out rockets which blasted holes through the wings. The monster's winced but kept flying.

Amy shot of a large laser, slicing the primary feathers off of one Dragon-Bird. It shrieked and tried to flap, but its feathers failed to catch any wind, slowly it fell, colliding with the ground hard, instantly killing it.

"Aim for the Wing tips! They can't fly if you cut the feathers!" Amy shouted over the transmission.

However one Dragon-Bird did notice the change in attack, the animals had discovered the Dragon-birds weakness. The rage filled Dragon-bird swerved, diving down and grabbing onto a flying robot of Eggman's group. The Dragon-Bird dug its talons deep into the robot, causing it to spasm and shoot off rows of bullets. Dragon-Bird twisted, letting the bullets harm the other robots before hurling the breaking machinery into the side of the building. Cream gasped looking at the creature, but quickly swerved as the scarred face shot out fire.

"That's one of the things that attacked us before! They're stronger and know us better!" Tails shouted, shooting out lasers the Dragon-Bird easily avoided.

The two familiar creatures turned, grabbing at the X Tornado once again as they did before, this time, one went down while the other went up, effectively tipping Tails and not letting him shoot missiles or launch an attack from outside the plane.

"Let go of him you monster!" Amy shouted, letting her ship take out a large metal hammer just like in real life. Mephiles's monster screamed in agony as the hammer connected his it's wing, shattering it beyond repair. The other Alpha screamed and dove after his falling friend, but the falling one shot a ball of fire at the other, forcing him away as he fell to his death.

Shadow's Dragon-Bird turned slowly and menacingly, thick smoke pooled out of its nostrils and bloodlust glinted in its eyes.

Amy gulped and turned, flipping and doing all she could to avoid the crazy blasts of fire. Cream spun, shooting a few bullets at the monster that in turn curled in its wings and avoided all.

It snarled again and swiped a row of machines out of its path before grabbing onto Cream's plane and taking a large chunk out of the left wing, stabbing the cockpit with its tail many times. Cream screamed, protecting Cheese and keeping her head low. A large explosion and the Dragon-Bird screamed in agony. It let go of Cream's ship and turned, large chunks were missing from its torso, rockets from Tails.

"Argist!" A shout from below and the Dragon-Bird swerved, landing softly on the ground far below.

"What's it doing?" Amy asked, knocking another one, now only three flew in the skies.

"I think it's…..No!" Tails shouted, eyes wide as a black hedgehog walked up to the beast and calmly sat on it, the beast then flapped high into the sky after the three.

"Guys! Get out of here! Shadow's on that thing!" Tails shouted and Amy gasped, turning just as a fireball blasted past her.

"My ship can't take much more Tails." Cream whispered as she turned, the left wing groaned.

Shadow stood tall and proud just between the wing blades on the monster's back. Twin Chaos Spears were charged and in his hands, a look of anger decorating his face.

Tails took another swerve, looking at the battle far below.

He couldn't get Sonic's help. No, sonic was too busy taking out the Demon-Wolves. A few lay bloodied and wounded, the others were dead. So far the only ones left were the two commanding and the giant monsters were still a problem. The clones were easily being distracted by the machines. Eggman himself was firing missiles at Mephiles, doubting the demon's strength.

Sonic jumped, grabbing the leading Demon-Wolfs head and flipping, throwing the demon into a wall. The wolf howled and jumped off, charging at Sonic.

A nearby patio umbrella went flying, stabbing into the beasts to Sonic's shock. He almost screamed as the monster dropped dead onto the ground, blood dripping out of what was left of its heart.

"Thanks silver! I owe you one."

Sonic have a little heads up and Silver nodded, getting back to his own battle.

Shadow's Demon-Wolf was dead, now only Mephiles's was left.

Sonic looked over and gasped, he lunged curling into a ball and smashing into the Demon-Wolves side, throwing it off of Silver who had been pinned down.

"We're even." Silver nodded and Sonic turned, ready to hit the Demon-Wolf again.

"Sonic!" Sonic looked up to see the X Tornado shoot a missile at the dog which howled and did a gurgle as it fell over, its throat blown open.

"Help us!" Tails shouted, temporarily landing. Sonic jumped on without hesitation while silver looked towards the giants,

"Go on without me." Silver said emotionlessly and Sonic shrugged, turning up towards the sky once again.

Sonic gasped as he saw the damage. Tails turned slightly, allowing Sonic to watch as Shadow on his beast shot another Chaos Spear at Amy who narrowly avoided it.

"Take me in lower Tails!" Sonic shouted, Tails nodded slowly sloping so they were a meter above Shadow who had yet to see him.

Sonic jumped, curling into a ball and smashing into Shadow who grunted surprised and smashed his monster down.

"Sonic!" Shadow spat, throwing a punch that nailed Sonic in the right eye, Sonic growled and kicked Shadow in the shin, forcing his elbow into his back as he kneeled over and flipping him down off the monster.

The Dragon Bird cried curving so it's belly remained upwards and easily caught Shadow in its talons, Sonic cried out as he tried to hang on to the horns between the wings.

"Get off my beast!" Shadow shouted, now climbed up and throwing punches.

"Never!" Sonic shouted, yelping and ducking as a Chaos Spear almost hit him. The Dragon-Bird hissed in anger before throwing its head back, attempting to smash Sonic. Sonic yelped and pressed himself flat as the Dragon-Bird spiraled in a corkscrew. Shadow easily hung on, reversing his hover shoes into a suction shoe.

"Give me the Chaos Emeralds!" Shadow snarled and Sonic in return punched Shadow's muzzle.

Shadow twisted, spitting up blood and growling back.

"Argist, get your brethren in." Shadow hissed, the Dragon-Bird, Argist, in return reared his head and roared like the giant monster he was.

The three Dragon-Birds attacking Cream and Amy turned and dove right at Shadow's monster, Argist.

Tails, below the battle in his plane gasped and pulled up on the turret, firing off ranks.

The monster with a purple plume squealed and pulled up, slashing its tail at Tails who avoided the blow. Shadow growled as he saw this.

"So you get Tails in on this also? You cannot win this fight Sonic." Shadow hissed, leaning to the left to avoid a fireball shot at Sonic.

Sonic twirled, hanging onto the horn again as Argist dove, Shadow punched and Sonic shouted in pain as something on his skull broke.

Sonic unwillingly let go and plummeted, shouting in surprise as the world rushed up at him.

Tails seeing this tried to turn to catch him, but the Purple plumes Dragon-Bird dropped down, hovering between Tails and his falling 'brother'.

"Sonic!" Tails could only shout and avoid the purple plume Dragon-Bird.

Sonic twisted, closing his eyes for imp-

"Ooff!" Sonic gasped as the air left his lungs, he slowed slightly but basically stopped.

"Jeeze! What are you eating?" Rouge huffed, flapping like mad.

Sonic gave a grin and let out the breath he had been holding.

"Thank goodness you got here, I thought that was the end of me." Sonic chuckled and Rouge turned, Sonic swinging out slightly as she landed on top of the Apartment building.

"That Dragon-Bird thing sure has been giving us troble, huh?" Rouge grinned and turned, crossing her arms. Sonic looked back up at the air battle, he gasped as Amy turned with her plane and swiped her metal hammer hard into Shadow's monster.

Sonic swore he could hear the bones breaking from there.

Shadow on his monster, turned, hurriedly trying to fix his monster's skull, but it wouldn't work, Shadow knew that he was dying.

The Dragon-Bird rolled onto its back as it fell, holding Shadow close with its wings as it collapsed and skidded thirty feet, crushing a rank of Eggman's robots.

"Oh gosh." Rouge winced and Sonic closed his eyes. Sonic turned, rubbing the singed fur on his left arm, he smiled at the two animals standing behind Rouge.

"We apologize for being late, we had to….get someone." Blaze said sincerely, Knuckles nodded, eyes glued to the fight.

"Get someone?" Sonic repeated and Knuckles cracked his fists.

"Let Blaze and I take out the giant's, you and Silver need to focus on Mephiles."

Knuckles firmly said, Sonic blinked slightly surprised.

"Um…Okay, but what about the Chaos Emeralds? I did manage to get only _one_, so we're still missing two." Blaze took a step forward.

"We will come in contact at once point, when I receive an Emerald I shall transport it to you." Blaze nodded.

"Wait, who's going to take on Shads if we're going for Mephiles?"

A small little gasp from behind Blaze made Sonic jump slightly. Blaze moved away to reveal a little girl, around twelve years of age looking at the battle with a horror shocked face.

"Shadow?" She whispered looking as the battle went on and more creatures screamed in pain or machines were destroyed.

"He…he's here?" She whispered looking at Sonic frantically.

"Please, please tell me Shadow's alright…_please!_" Maria begged, tears coming to her big blue eyes. Rouge looked away and Sonic closed his eyes.

"Shadow….This is why we need you. Shadow won't talk to any of us, he knows you Maria, he _trusts you."_

Maria bit her lip and nodded, Rouge signaled something and slowly Tails landed.

"Hey Rouge, here's your ship." Tails nodded, detaching something from a hidden compartment under the X Tornado. Tails flipped away and joined back in his now frustrating battle with Purple plume.

"Come on Sweetie, I'll get you into the area we need to be in." Maria nodded and slowly got into the back seat of the little plane, Rouge took the front.

"Rouge, can you take us into the battle?" Blaze asked and Rouge grinned.

Blaze and Sonic balanced on the left wing, they were after all going towards the same area, knuckles balanced on the right.

Rouge carefully swirled and tilted right, sending Knuckles down into a giant, Rouge then turned left, sending Blaze and Sonic down next to a panting Silver.

"Are they going to be okay?" Maria asked worried, Rouge smiled.

"Don't worry about them hun, Sonic's been through rougher spots but he never loses a quill." Rouge laughed, turning around for another spin. Maria gasped looking as a giant stared at them, its single eye glowing as energy formed.

"Rouge! Watch out!" Maria shouted, forcing Rouge to push down on the controls, making them miss the beam by a little inch.

Maria looked down and gasped, Shadow the hedgehog stood proud and tall, looking down at the form of a broken smoking ship and a little rabbit and chao huddled in the ruins.

"We have to go down their!" Maria shouted, Rouge winced, but turned down anyways, landing silently behind the two.

"Don't move until I tell you to!" Rouge hissed before squeezing out silently.

Shadow stood looking down at Cream and Cheese.

"Please Mr. Shadow, don't do it." Cream whimpered, hugging her chao closer. Shadow did feel conflicted feelings, he didn't want to kill Cream, not when she had always been so nice to him. He would make her death as quick as possible.

"I don't want to do this Cream." Shadow simply stated, charging up a Chaos Spear. Cream's eyes glazed up and she sniffled. She was _crying?_ Oh crap, Shadow couldn't stand little girls crying.

"Then don't Mr. Shadow, I know Maria wouldn't want you to." Cream sniffled. Shadow flinched. Would Maria want him too? No, but if she knew his reasons…..would she.

"How do you know _anything about Maria?"_ Shadow hissed, the Chaos Spear growing darker with every word. Cream trembled and tried to get away.

"W-We f-f-found s-s-security camer-ra's…" She stuttered, Shadow was numb. She had seen the security footage, _all of it?_ Every last second of her life with him, _his life?_

He heard a faint fluttering noise, he could recognize that sound everywhere. It was what Rouge did when she was nervous, her wings would rub ever so slightly, but enough to make a little fluttering noise.

"Is it true, you watched my _entire life?"_ Shadow growled, Rouge hesitated, before looking at him carefully.

"Yes, and I understand why you must be so a-"

"You know _nothing!"_ Shadow hissed, spinning around and his eyes set on Rouge, he quickly grabbed her throat and lifted her up in her surprise.

"You have _no clue_ what it feels like to have the only person you ever care about be taken away from you! To have her murderer always looking at you, and you _can't kill him!"_ Shadow shrieked, throwing Rouge to the ground where the gasped at air.

"You don't know _anything!_ So don't say this isn't what Maria wanted! Just…..Just don't say it…."

At this part Shadow had his eyes closed and were trembling ever so slightly.

Cream had gotten up slowly, and was holding Cheese tightly, Rouge was breathing quickly, she had never saw Shadow show emotion….this was just too much.

"I know what Maria is like though….She wouldn't have wanted you to do this Mr. Shadow, she would have wanted you to be happy-"

"You don't get it do you _little girl,_ I enjoy this! I know what will happen in the end, _they'll kill me!_ You know why? Because they fear me, and they have a right to!"

Cream was silent as she let Shadow get rid of his extra anger before responding.

"I don't fear you Mr. Shadow. I think you're just confused on what Maria would want you to do."

Shadow's pupils narrowed, his nostrils flared and Chaos Energy crackled in his hands.

"Oh, so tell me Cream, _you know what Maria would want me to do? _Tell me, tell me all she has to say." Shadow spat.

Maria was hiding behind Rouge's plane, just at a first glance she wouldn't have noticed a difference in Shadow….but he was….broken.

When she was little, she had grown a little butterfly, Shadow had helped and she loved to look at it at night, flying around in the little glass she had in her room. When she went to the labs, she had always seen how the projects never moved or never ate. They were just like how Shadow was now.

They had their spirits broken.

"I want you to look inside yourself, and find out what your heart tells you to do."

* * *

Shadow straightened up, eyes slightly glassy as he recognized the voice.

"No…it can't be." He whispered, slowly turning to see a little girl no more than twelve years old. Her long golden hair drifted slightly to the left on a breeze and the depths of her ocean blue eyes sparkled.

"Maria…..How?" Shadow choked, a feeling closed up in his throat, a feeling he hadn't had for years. The feeling he had when watching her still body crumple as he was shot into the atmosphere.

Shadow the hedgehog was crying.

Rouge and Cream backed away, eyes huge and simply watching as Maria ran to embrace the collapsing trembling hedgehog.

"Death is easy, you never feel a thing." Maria whispered as Shadow eased his trembling slightly.

"I don't blame you Shadow, I am healed, I guess Grandfather was still right saying that you would be the reason I will be healed." Maria coed. Shadow pulled away, eyes huge and slightly like the way they were back on the ARK.

"You're heal-" Before Shadow could finish loud shouts and booms echoed, Shadow gasped looking at the sky. G.U.N. choppers and turrets fired at the demons, letting them explode before reforming.

Shadow jumped away, looking up at the chopper with a deep hatred that scared Maria.

Shadow rolled as bullets whizzed by his fur, slicing the ash fault below.

"Demon of the air!" Shadow shouted, a Demon-Bird high above, the only surviving one, dove down, landing softly in front of Shadow.

"That…That thing is _yours?"_ Maria gasped and Shadow smirked slightly.

"If my memory recalls correctly, which it may not since it's been whipped two times, did you say you've always wanted to go flying?"

Maria looked up at the sky, the people with guns shooting the demons down, but they just rose again.

Maria hesitantly stepped forward and Shadow gently grabbed her, slinging her up into the natural saddle the beast made. Shadow clicked his tongue and the Dragon-Bird rose into the air, flapping and gaining just above the plane out of its sight.

Guns shot down the Demon-Wolves that had responded. The bullets traveled under its flesh and fell out at the tip of the tail, not harming the strange creature at all.

"Who are they?" Maria asked and Shadow tensed, his fist clenching.

"They are a military group named G.U.N." Shadow spat, Maria blinked, trying to remember why that group sounded so familiar….

"The commander of G.U.N. is someone I've been tracking down for a _long time."_ Shadow growled, letting his Demon-Bird spiral to the left to avoid being seen.

"….What did he do Shadow…." Maria whispered, knowing Shadow, he was kind as she knew. The smallest things he would take to heart, but forget easily…..but for Shadow to be _this mad…._

"…..He's your killer."

Maria felt as if a bucket of cold water had been splashed on her, every limb felt like ice and her breathing became slightly labored.

"My…..My killer?" She whispered but Shadow didn't respond, slowly the Dragon-Bird lowered until it sat directly on the top of the strange plane.

Shadow however didn't expect camera's to be on the roof.

Turrets shot up from the hull, Shadow yanked forcefully on the left horn, the Dragon-Bird complied and sunk its talons deep into the metal, yanking upwards to create a little done for the time.

"Maria, I would advise you to close your eyes." Shadow calmly said and Maria quickly grabbed onto Shadow.

"You…You aren't going to kill all of them are you Shads?"

"Would you rather die again? Life is tough, and so is murder." Shadow growled, focusing on the Chaos Energy deep inside himself.

"Chaos Abyss!" shadow shouted, watching in satisfaction as a deep crevice split the plane cleanly in two. Maria screamed as she fell in a free fall, suddenly stopping as the dragon-Bird cared to pull up.

Maria clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, trying to hide the trembled she gave as she heard the screams the men gave, and the slurping noises as they hit the ground hard.

"One down, two to go." Shadow growled, Maria shivered and Shadow looked back at her, his eyes softening as he put one arm around her.

"Hey, calm down. The world will be better without them." He coaxed and she trembled again, a little tear coming down her face.

"How can you say that? They never did anything wrong!" She cried and Shadow looked away, eyes closing.

"The others never told you what happened after you died did they."

Maria looked up, eyes wide and tears dripping.

"What? Shadow…what did you do?" She whispered and shadow winced.

"I'm not proud of it…." He murmured

He remained silent slowly the second ship came into view, but this time…..was the ship landing?


	26. Realization

Sonic and Silver lunged, swiping at the giant with a spin attack. The giant moaned and shook its head, before screaming and dropping dead as a large fireball sunk into the gaps between its 'ribs' and burning it's 'heart' to a fine little crisp.

"That's the last one!" Silver shouted, dropping the large rock chunk he had levitated. Sonic gasped suddenly spinning around as the faint sound of a chopper was brought to his ears, the G.U.N. logo stood out in the black swirling sky, but more importantly, the sound of gunfire.

"Oh no." Sonic whispered, eyes wide as he scanned the ground for his friends. They were all alive, Rouge and Cream included who were now in Rouge's ship coming closer.

"Rouge!" Sonic shouted and Rouge opened the hatch looking at the two worriedly.

"Shadow got all calm like he was on the ARK when he saw Maria, but when he heard G.U.N. he went all crazy and called the last surviving Dragon-Bird." She quickly said, ignoring Silver's confused look at the word 'Maria'. Sonic winced and looked up, suddenly shouting as the first and farthest G.U.N. ship split and a few thirty people screamed falling to the ground from hundreds of feet up.

"I found him." Silver simply stated as a black Dragon-Bird swooped and headed towards the next.

"Crap, We gotta' find Maria!" Sonic yelped frantically searching the still smoldering ground.

"Found her." Blaze simply stated, watching Shadow as his monster hovered slightly.

"And she's with Shadow." Silver's eyes widened and Sonic groaned.

"She's going to get herself killed!...Again! She doesn't have a clue about the 'I'm-going-to-blow-up-the-world!' Thing!"

Sonic yelped, taking a step forward before a large wall of crystal rose around him. The three turned, each glaring at the crystallized hedgehog that floated above them.

_"I see your plans and the trick you used to stop Shadow rage, but it will not be enough."_ Mephiles laughed and Blaze frowned.

"What do you mean?" She barked, sounding strange for a cat.

_"You think that having his friend back will stop the ever-growing sea of revenge he has burning deep inside his heart? And what will happen if G.U.N. takes this little 'Maria' away?"_

Silver immediately started muttering every single curse he knew, clenching his fists and looking up at the ascending plane.

"Wait….What's going to happen to Shadow?" Sonic was clueless but as a large chunk of machinery was thrown over their heads, the three met faces with Knuckles.

"I can answer that." He grunted, making his path easier by punching a robot's leg out of his way.

"A Chaos Emerald has negative and positive power as what happened with the Chaos incident."  
Sonic nodded as Knuckles relaxed slightly.

"Well the ability to use chaos is also similar. There is the positive and negative force inside a person. Naturally we use the positive force to use Chaos Energy. The emotions used to use this force are things like joy, love, caring and such. They make our super forms."

Knuckles dragged on, Sonic understood this part fine, but a negative force?

"Now normally you can't use the negative force unless you're really twisted in the mind. But occasionally you can pull the energy from that side but only when you're feeling really strong emotions such as Greed, Anger, Vengeance, and the strongest of all, revenge. You go into a dark Chaos form identical to our super but against it in all ways."

Sonic twitched, finally understanding as his eyes grew.

"Wait, so Shadow may go all crazy on us?" Sonic whispered and Mephiles above chuckles, watching as the plane finally landed.

_"The proper term, is a Chaos Overload."_

"Well crap."

Shadow pulled up, landing on a large chunk of smoldering rock from an explosion caused by one of Eggman's machines.

The Dragon-Bird squawked and looked around with intelligent eyes, scanning as the G.U.N. troops darted out with guns raised.

Maria gasped and clung to Shadow tighter, obviously thinking that this was the end. Shadow was at ease, knowing that he could easily block all of them.

"Shadow the Hedgehog! You are under arrest!" A Gun solder with an automatic machine gun stated, eyes lining Shadow up with the barrel.

Shadow rolled his eyes and ex haled.

"To capture me is pointless humans, you all know this is a pointless battle." Shadow spat and Maria cringed, the gun officials gasped seeing her.

"Commander! The suspect has a little girl in hostage, blonde hair blue eyes, and estimated age around twelve!"

Maria twitched as they described her and Shadow chuckled silently, shaking her slightly.

"Shoot." Shadow lazily said, Maria gasped in shock.

"_I dare you!"_ Shadow's voice was no more than hisses, the officials were unsure of what to do.

"Shadow, why are these people out to get you." Maria choked out and the closest member noticed this, he spun around with his gun held high.

"So you kidnap a clueless girl? She doesn't even know why were taking you hostage! Hear that boys? Little girls clueless!"

The GUN rank laughed out loudly, the Dragon-Bird growled but Shadow shushed it with a small pat to its neck.

"So little girl, you under a rock the past few years?" Another called out and Maria flinched. Shadow growled lowly, eyes blazing as they insulted her.

"Yeah! This little monster would be dead if our General allowed it!" Shadow laughed, loudly and slightly dark. Maria shook slightly, where was the Shadow _she_ knew?

"Dead? You've been trying to kill me for years! Fifty to be exact, and honestly, a passing car has gotten closer!"

The GUN rank shook with rage before one careless shoulder shot off two bullets in his anger.

The Dragon-Bird had been expecting this and with a clean swipe, the blades on its tail deflected the bullets back into the gun's barrel letting it explode.

"You'll pay for that hedgehog!" Another shouted and Shadow carelessly blinked.

"Yeah! We have a wager for you!"

"We never did trust you since the ARK!"

"Yeah!"

The troops randomly shouted, on the last once especially Shadow flinched and Maria gasped as Shadow slowly turned towards the crowd.

"I regret my actions that day." Shadow lowly hissed, the crowd evenly said a series of 'ohhhhh's until a lone shoulder stepped up.

"Won't make a difference the way we see you!" He shouted and a dark smile came to shadow's face.

"I mean I regret the fact that I let mortals live. If I had the choice today, the earth would be destroyed."

The crowd was in stunned silence and Maria gasped loudly, she pulled away from shadow and he turned to look at her.

"You almost blew up the world!" She shrieked and Shadow winced, he knew this wasn't going to go well.

"I-"

"Oh so I'm gone and you find it okay _to kill every single human on earth!"_

"I had to! I-"

"Oh so you _wanted_ to do this huh? In your programming HUH?"

"Listen! I-"

"No Shadow No! I made you promise! How could you!"

Shadow was getting frustrated and the GUN members were getting very amused as shadow got ranted on by a twelve year old.

"Hah look at that!"

"Guess Mr. Ultimate Life form isn't so tough!"

"Being ranted on by a twelve year old!"

The crowd started laughing and Shadow clenched his fists, he saw slight black spots on his vision and a faint red aura started to surround him.

"Silence humans!" Shadow snarled, the humans ignored him.

"Shads!" Shadow and Maria looked up to see the X Tornado land just off to the left, not on GUN's or Shadow's side.

Sonic was perched on the left wing, Silver on the right, Sonic only had eyes on Shadow.

"Don't do it." Sonic simply said, now the GUN ranks were confused, sending puzzled looks to one another as they looked at Sonic's intent face. They followed his gaze and gasped, some took a step back.

Shadow was twitching slightly, his neck kept tilting his head to the right than normal again, Shadow's fangs were bared and Shadow had his fists so tight, his own black blood ran from little cuts he had made.

"Do what?" The GUN people whispered, shuffling uncertain as Shadow's crimson gaze left them and traveled to Sonic.

"And you have a better idea?" Shadow hissed, his quills rising like the hackles on a cat, Maria scooted backwards.

"Get out of here, work out your stress, I hear Blaze is wonders in counseling." Silver offered with a weak smile.

Lightning crashed in the distance, only the trained could tell that this was actually a Chaos Spear.

_"Give in…."_ A faint breeze whispered as smoke billowed from the air, turning around Shadow and Maria to Maria's horror.

Maria gasped and leaned into Shadow in fear, but Shadow remained calm, simply trying to subdue the anger and hate that pulsed through his blood.

"S-Shadow?" Maria trembled watching as Silver bit his lip and Sonic bowed his head.

_"Do it…they will hunt you down forever, Dear Shadow, you wish to fulfill your death?"_

Maria looked around frantically, lightly poking the black mist that recoiled and curled upwards, landing by the Dragon-Bird's feet.

"Well well well, I never thought I'd see you again, rat." Maria and the Mobians turned to face who said that.

Suited up and holding a few guns, was a man staring intently at Maria.

With two different colored eyes.


	27. All but Revenge

Sonic and Silver looked over, letting out a double sound of 'No!'.

Maria met eyes and gasped, trembling and unconsciously clutching her stomach where the bullet had been.

Shadow by far had the strangest reaction.

Shadow simply stood up, looking down at the commander, and smiled.

Of course it wasn't a full smile like what had been in the security tapes, this one was sadistic and filled with glee at the thought of killing him.

"Well, I never thought you would walk to your death Commander." Shadow spoke in his deadly calm voice.

Silver and Sonic exchanged a frightened look, Maria looked around desperately for a safe haven, clutching the Dragon-Bird who grunted in approval.

"You know I'll live, Project Shadow. Sadly, I don't think the same will come for you." The man faked sympathy but Shadow saw right through it.

Shadow saw the black monster of Sadism inside his heart, begging to torture Shadow, to make every moment of Shadow's beating heart a pump of agony. The monster that led the man on, that tricked every human above him into submitting to his wishes.

The man was just like Mephiles, but with one major difference.

Mephiles wasn't glass, he couldn't be broken or seen through, no. Mephiles was like black crystal, the only thing that could harm it was itself. Impossible to see through or use for your own gain.

But Shadow was also like black crystal.

"You and I both know that in seconds I can have every man hear choke slowly on his own blood."

"But you won't, you know why?"

The commander snapped his fingers, this all happened in an instant.

The last chopped her been above the group the entire time, silent with advance technology. Black harpoons shot down, piercing through the wings of the very last Dragon-Bird, pinning it to the ground, a strange black net fell on the beast, draping over Maria also, and was yanked upwards and out towards the ranks.

The GUN officials grabbed the net and held the frightened Maria at gun point, ready to be shot in an instant.

Ready to be killed once again in front of Shadow.

"Because if you move one inch, little Maria here dies by my hand….._again."_

Shadow twitched, the cage around his heart, his core was bending twisting. His red eyes Rage twisted inside its cage, but for once in Shadows life.

Shadow snapped that cage open.

Silver and Sonic gasped as a loud crack echoed from Shadow. The sound of a twig cracking, the sound of a carrot crunching.

The sound of control breaking.

The Commander gasped as Shadows crimson eyes changed.

They were blank, almost slightly glassy, but in an instant his pupil expanded, covering the irises and the whites. Leaving his eyes a complete space black, soulless and cold.

The red highlights on his quills darkened from the color of fresh blood, to an old dried blood color. Almost black and a whole lot more frightening. His gloves lost color, turning black, and his entire fur turned a whole shade darker if it was possible. A white ring of faint light shone around his eyes, and a deep blazing aura blazed around him. His bracelets shone even brighter gold as he turned and looked more like a shadow than ever.

Shadow was in his dark super form.

"Sonic!" Maria shouted, eyes desperate and Sonic nodded.

With a flash of light, all seven Chaos Emeralds circled around him, how he got them….now _that_ was the tricky part.

The last Emerald was with Shadow, so when Maria held Shadow when he was….having a meltdown, she easily snuck it out and tossed it to Rouge, who gave it to Sonic.

Sonic nodded and with a flash of light, a completely gold Sonic stood, floating above GUN.

Shadow hissed in anger, bottomless eyes glaring at Sonic who flinched.

_"You shall all die!"_ Shadow hissed much like Mephiles.

Mephiles circled around Shadow in his mist form, Sending out negative Chaos Energy, and the power opposite of Sonic's.

With a quick lunge, Sonic leapt, grabbing Shadow in a fight.

"Give me Maria!" Silver shouted, protecting the shoulders from harm's path. Most were freaking out and abandoning the mission anyways, Maria struggled against the Commander who slowly loaded a bullet into his gun.

Shadow snarled, a red Chaos Blast shooting Sonic into the ground where he winced as something buried deep inside his arm. He looked down and yanked out the chunk of exploded gun, gasping as golden blood started to slightly bleed.

He could bleed in his super form!

Sonic shouted his war cry, blasting Shadow away as he unleashed Sonic Wind.

Shadow was blasted back, he felt the metal chunks yank at his fur but he ignored it, jumping back into the fight.

Sonic grabbed Shadow and punched his gut, letting his light aura seep slightly into Shadow.

Shadow screamed as burning agony known as the 'light' seeped into his smoky black fur. He spammed, eventually kneeing Sonic and punching his head so hard, his top left quill cracked and seeped golden blood as Shadow's own wound seeped black blood.

Shadow looked out of the corner of his eyes, lifting his arm at the last moment to block Sonic's swing.

Sonic gasped in surprise as Shadow caught his arm, to any other being it would have shattered bone! But Shadow simply shrugged it off like it was nothing.

_"You are weak Sonic!"_ Shadow hissed like a snake, twisting Sonic's arm and forcing him to his knees.

"No! You're just over confident!" Sonic shouted back, letting his aura flare and charge at Shadow.

Shadow screamed once again as the onslaught of bright emotions hurtled his mind, attacking the negative Chaos Energy that filled his heart. Shadow screeched, letting his emotion of Sadness fly, letting it attack the emotion of Joy Sonic had attacked with.

"Whoa!" Sonic yelped as a black wave attacked his golden aura, the feeling of Sadness rushed over his senses, threatening to drag him into its depths.

Of course! Shadow was sending out counter emotions to attack his! Sonic narrowed his eyes as he sent out his nest.

Shadow shrieked as Sonic combined a new emotion, Pride.

G.U.N. personal inside the choppers gasped as two Hedgehogs stood, arms in arms fighting with what seemed like light. The other mobians had come to see, hopefully, the end. Amy and Cream stood next to each other, Tails and Knuckles, Rouge and Blaze, Even Eggman stood, observing as the two strongest Hedgehogs battled it out.

"What's….What's he doing?" Tails asked, looking towards Knuckles who had more of an idea of what was taking place.

"Sonic is attacking with Positive Chaos Energy fueled by Positive Emotions, while shadow is attacking with Negative Chaos Energy fueled by Negative Emotions."

Tails nodded and looked down, the golden light flared up suddenly, even stronger and it pushed the dark fog like aura back. Shadow cried out in pain, clenching his teeth as the soulless depths of his 'eyes' glared wonders, slowly pushing its way back against Sonic's struggling ones.

Shadow took a step forward as he added another emotion to join Sadness in his battle.

Sonic winced as he felt a wave of Wariness counter his Pride, dang, Shadow knew all counters didn't he?

"Take this!" Sonic shouted, drawing another from his mind and heart.

A wave of Playfulness swept up Shadow, he could almost feel Sonic's fun as he raced, as the wind swept his quills and the air swirled around his body…

The emotion burned him, burned him of his past, of how all had tricked him, manipulated him….

Shadow saw Sonic visibly wince as he felt his pain also, but Shadow wasn't ready to give up. Let him feel _all of it!_

So Shadow let go, he let loneliness escape, let Sonic feel and know what it was like to walk down the streets, look at all mistrusting, look in abandoned corners to find his next meal. Or sit in a forest, seeking company but finding none….

Sonic cried out, the dark aura reaching through his golden and slashing at his arms. Maria gasped at the losing battle Sonic was in, Amy thought quick on her feet.

"Think good thoughts Sonic! Think of Power!" Amy shouted, and Sonic smirked slightly.

The feeling of being in the super state, the feeling that you could do so much to help others with such little effort….

Shadow winced and forcefully countered.

After falling off the ARK, the feeling of awaiting death, to know it is coming, to do _nothing_ as it came. To painful to move or even breathe, to back down because it is impossible to accomplish your goal, to be _weak._

The aura was building getting even bigger, nearby machines melted to dust, Mephiles circled high above, uncertain of what to do.

Being eager, jumping in your shoes and knowing that everyday faces warmth just like the last. The break of adventure just at your fingertips, ready to be used in your own way.

The feeling of Dread, knowing something is coming, something you cannot control or stop, to feel useless but not tell anyone of the coming darkness….

Tails cried out, shielding his eyes as the light intensified.

"What's going on?" Tails cried, Silver winced looking away.

"Shadow is countering every emotion Sonic is using! There is no way to slip around him!" Blaze cried out.

Shadow grinned as Sonic took a step back, black burns danced on Sonic's golden fur, Black holes met with a slightly orange eyes. Shadow laughed darkly, before releasing one of his stronger emotions.

Hate, driven by cold blackness with white fangs and blood red eyes. Launching into battle and ripping out the throats of others because they deserved it, because they needed it.

Sonic grunted, eyes closed as the darkness rammed his fur, let his blood stain the ground, but Sonic pressed on.

"If there's one thing I've learned…" Sonic grunted out, pushing back and slashing his eyes open.

"Is that…you can….always count….on…..someone!"

Trust, the feeling of friendship taken to another level. To know someone would risk their life, someone would look out for you, to _feel_ their laugh and know they would protect you.

Shadow almost smiled, for he knew this feeling. The feeling he had with Maria, her nice laugh when he told her funny things, or the way he would catch her when she tripped.

Maria, her death, her pain, her suffering….all because of…._them!_

Sonic gasped, watching as his Trust did nothing, not even puncture the surface of Shadow's anger.

_"You fool! Trying to find a weakness in something I already know of?"_ Shadow hissed, his claws digging into Sonic's flesh.

_"Let me show you pain, let me show you agony, let me rip you apart!"_

Shadow screeched, the black aura rearing upwards like a mighty dragon, and lunging downwards for the kill.

"Sonic!" The mobians, even Eggman yelled. Eyes wide with shock as Sonic withered and screamed in agony.

Black hate, anger, vengeance, sadness, grief. Emotions Sonic had never dealt with swarmed in his being, taking and forcing out his Positive Chaos Energy, forcing its own Negative Energy in.

Shadow lunged, one hand pressed on Sonic's forehead, and the other pressed against Sonic's heart.

Finally, Shadow destroyed the cage on his emotions, letting loose the darkest of them all.

Shadow let loose the emotion of Revenge.

Sonic withered silently, at this point there was nothing that he could counter with. Maria falling dead at his feet, the pain of lose mixed with the pain of hate and anger to form this new monster, the dark dragon that easily wormed it's way into Sonic's soul, sucking out all of the Positive Energy slowly.

Tails gasped as the black energy swarmed all over the golden flailing Sonic.

Slowly, over Sonic's heart, his gold fur began melting, turning into an almost black, blue color.

"He's forcing Sonic into a dark form!" Knuckles shouted, Silver gasped and immediately started hurling things at the black anger.

"We have to help them!" Amy cried, but nobody could think of how, well one could.

Very slowly, Maria Robotnic had escaped the grasps of the G.U.N. commander, who was shocked and stunned with fear at his awaiting death.

She was facing the battle that Sonic couldn't win. But she knew who could.

Maria took a step forward.


	28. My Revenge and maybe in the end my Death

Maria took another step, the black emotions swirling around like a giant snake around its prey. Maria looked up and gasped.

Mephiles the dark was trying to break into the barrier. Ramming and forcing its black mist form at the serpent. Mephiles recoiled sharply hissing and curled around, looking for an entrance.

"Are you with us?" Maria whispered, looking upwards towards Mephiles, who somehow heard her and swooped down, turning to his crystal form.

_"Shadow will kill himself. His emotions are the death of him, he always had a strong hold on them, but he will be broken when they are all gone….useless."_

Maria blinked, she smiled slightly, and she _did_ hear a faint trace of fear in Mephiles's words, so he was afraid of Shadow huh?

"You can't get in can you."

_"It…Seems that I cannot. I feel no emotions, the sudden contact brings great pain."_

Maria nodded and looked in at the swirls, she gasped as a dark blue-black fur started to turn on Sonic over his heart, and spreading.

"I have a plan to stop Shadow….But I need you to stall Sonic. When the timing is right….just get Sonic out of the way."

Mephiles looked at her critically before exploding in black dust and swirling up again, but not before whispering to her.

_"Shadow thinks highly of you, Maria Robotnic, if anybody can stop him, it is you."_

Maria smiled softly and walked, gently resting her hand along the black barrier, expecting to feel Shadow's pain.

But all she heard was her voice, her clear voice the moment she was dying, slightly panting and surprising the pain. His darkest emotion was her?

Maria took a step, easily passing through the emotion in her shock, passing through it like it was simply fog. She took another, easily spotting Sonic through the great snake's coils. Shadow was blank, nothing being reflected in his eyes, but Maria exhaled slowly walking towards Shadow and very gently, lifting his hand off of Sonic. His arm was stiff, but easily budged, the barrier fell.

Sonic gasped, feeling the painful monster vanish; only to come in sight with someone in his way, Maria was taking full force of Shadows anguish, but it wasn't affecting her at all!

Sonic struggled to his feet, trying to shove the girl out of harm's way, but a cold arm grabbed his mid section yanking him up and through the air. Sonic twisted, looking around frantically, only to see a purplish Blackness, Mephiles? What did he want?

_"Stop Struggling Sonic!"_ Mephiles hissed, turning Sonic and splitting, letting Sonic drop from the large strange black shadow ball that quickly darted away, landing on the ground.

"Sonic!" Silver exclaimed, slightly surprised to see Mephiles drop off the blue blur.

Sonic coughed, shivering but gave a small grin and a thumbs up.

"I'm o-okay." Blaze snapped her fingers, setting a thin but warm fire blanket on his shoulders; he smuggled into the non burning flames and looked down at the black bubble.

"Wait, whose down their?" Blaze said, eyes darting to the bubble. Sonic didn't have to say anything. The black aura swirled even faster, but it seemed as if everybody could see through it.

"Maria?" Eggman whispered. Even he had some faint memories of his cousin from when he was young.

"Maria!" Rouge screamed, letting the mist swirl. Angry hisses echoed again and again as Mephiles searched for a break or a crack inside.

Maria inhaled, forcing her heart to stop thundering so much, she slowly lowered Shadow's stiff arm, breathing quickly and looked around the black dome that circled them.

Shadow's face was blank, his eyes depthless and mind set on his single task, destroy.

"Shadow?" Maria whispered, his face gave no recognition.

"Shadow, please, listen to me." Maria begged once again, no recognition. Maria swallowed the doubt that was growing in her mind, and gently pushed on Shadow's chin, forcing his head to look at her.

"Shadow!"

Still nothing. Maria closed her eyes, closing her fist and let her breathing get faster.

Shadow was out of control, and she knew what to do when Shadow went out of control. She never wanted to, but she had to.

"I command the to fulfill thy spoken thoughts!" Maria cried, a slight twitch and a faint stiffness brought a slight smile to Maria's face.

"Shadow! Listen to me! Please stop this!" Maria cried, Shadow's hand twitch and a brief moment of pain and sadness swept over his features, it was a look Maria could easily recognize, she gasped and her eyes widened.

_Shadow stood backing into a wall, strange machines advanced on him, dark and frightening faces on them brought intense fear to the now trembling Shadow._

_"Project Shadow, repeat after me, 'Chaos Control." An intercom blared with some rather mean doctors. Shadow looked around frantically for an escape, but nothing, nobody was coming close._

_Those fools! Shadow knew he could only use the Chaos Control with the glowing rocks! Were these imbeciles trying to kill him?_

_Shadow spun, and in his fear induced state, a single thought came to him, a weapon he could use from afar._

_A spear._

_"CHAOS SPEAR!" He cried out, looking on in slight satisfaction as large yellow spears sliced through the air destroying the robots and setting them ablaze. No, too many!_

_More spears kept coming sending the room ablaze, Shadow ducked, fear of his power, he couldn't control it._

_A look of sadness and pain came on his face as he imagined Maria being hit by those spears…._

Maria easily recognized the same look, he didn't want this, but the Negative Chaos Energy was forcing it, forcing the destruction until something could stop it.

"This isn't you Shadow, you aren't the night, and you aren't hate." Maria whispered, Shadow gave no response, the darkness shrieked, a faint image of a dragons body swirled in the mist, concerning the group even more.

"It's not working!" Amy cried and the group gasped at a rage filled hiss.

Mephiles charged again and again at the barrier, recoiling in pain every time he collided. This time the dragon head, lunged attempting to take a chunk out of the shadow ball.

_"Break through little girl! Do it!"_ He hissed, coming in and shattering the skull of the dragon as another rose.

Maria closed her eyes and slowly hugged Shadow who didn't give anything back.

"You are light Shadow, you're the day. You're my hope, my savior….and in a way you still are."

A slight groan came from Shadow as he tried to get a hold of the dark emotion, but it recoiled and burned the hand that tried to grab it. Shadow lunged but missed again.

"You aren't evil, you're my hope. Without you I'm nothing."

The dragon heads suddenly recoiled as if attacked screaming in pain and the black energy slowed slightly.

Sonic gasped and got to his feet.

"What's going on?" He asked, Mephiles swirled away, landing next to the group, eyes still on the target as he turned to his crystal form.

_"He has regained his will to fight off revenge himself. I am no longer in need of assistance."_

Sonic looked over at Mephiles, his eyes narrowing.

"Why are you helping us anyways?" Mephiles glared slightly before looking at the group.

_"The reason I still exist is because I fused with Shadow's Negative Chaos Energy."_

Knuckles gasped and looked at the scene.

"But Shadow is releasing his Negative Energy!" Mephiles nodded, slightly mad.

_"Exactly. If he succeeds he will only feed off of darkness, leaving nothing for me, therefore killing me."_

"But if he takes back the Negative Energy and gets rid of it, won't you die anyway?"

Mephiles laughed, Silver flinched and curled his fists.

_"No, I will seize to exist. This battle is the end of me, no matter which path I choose. One involves extreme agony, the other is a simple death. I prefer the simple way."_

*****8

Shadow cringed slightly and Maria smiled. She called upon every emotion, the first look of wonder as she first saw him, to the first laugh he made. She gently pushed it out, towards Shadow's will and sent her greatest emotion.

Love.

Fine white tendrils of what seemed like smooth silk branched off from around Maria, drifting through the black tar and snaring the snapping dragons.

She smiled slightly and stroked Shadow's dried blood red quills as he flinched as another dragon was captured.

*************8

Shadow's mind was at war. He could see, smell, hear, and feel, but not respond. He could simply watch through a giant screen in his mind as Maria slowly tried to break through to him.

_"You can't win Shadow."_

Shadow spun with his mind, looking at three large cages that were before him. The one on the furthest left was filled with a shapeless pink, red, and blue with occasional whites. The next one was filled with a bright yellow and a sky blue shape that resembled a large cat greatly, jumping and trotting around.

The next and final cage….The steel doors were swung open, black goo was hardened on the bottom of the cage, in some spots a strange white slime coated the bars, but more importantly was the strange form on _top_ of the cage.

It was hunched over, long black ratty wings hung limp over hanging the cage. Black scared flesh glinted in the unseen light and three horns protruded from its strange skull.

It looked up quickly, Glowing Crimson eyes around a fanged mouth, a slightly Hedgehog like head and claws like Mephiles.

Shadow took a step back from the monster, the rainbow like cat paced around slightly frantically.

_"You can't lock me away again."_

Shadow gasped and took another step, finally understanding what this think was.

It's eyes narrowed and it flapped down from the cage, landing before him, its fangs, much like shadow's own, were bared and it's red eyes flickered as if the sun pulsed inside of them.

It folded its wings around its pure midnight black body and Shadow realized something.

The monster was similar to him.

Of course a few differences were noticeable, like how it had wings, or the fact it had claws. The red highlights weren't- wait, they _were_, but they were an old crusty dark red, similar to dried blood.

It had the exact same shape and form, the slight difference was instead of quills, they were horns with slight ridges along the bone, but they were identical.

And it unnerved Shadow.

"So you are my Revenge." Shadow said only, the rainbow cat and the blob whined and sat in the corner, as far away from the negative emotion as possible.

_"Hello Shadow, I have been expecting you, although he circumstances were always different…."_

The strange emotion left off smirking and Shadow looked at the two other cages.

"How come those two aren't talking?"

_"Ah, how fragile a mind is. You have forgotten Joy, Hope, faith, and Friendship as your memory vanished. She has grown but still is not strong enough to speak…"_

So the rainbow cat was friendship? No wonder it was reacting badly to Revenge. Shadow looked at the blob that was in the corner barely in sight.

_"Ah, you see her too. That never grew, never has and never will. Love is nothing Shadow, she is useless…"_

That blob was….Love? But….Shadow couldn't love, it was impossible….

_"I know why you are here….to get me back in that cage…I will never go back, I shall control you Shadow, shall be the host…"_

Shadow took a step back and Joy growled from inside her cage. The being did a hissing laugh, spreading his wings high and in a circle.

_"See these? These cages are all that you feel! I can break you Shadow….just with a tiny…Bite!"_

His wings cleared mist that revealed walls of built in cages. But high in the center, like a miny sun, was a large ball of sparking and fizzing white light. His core, his Chaos Energy.

Some emotions were simply looking around, peering by in their different forms. Some had tags around the bottom, Shadow could read a few.

_Greed, Pity, Pleasure, Amusement, Horror, Jealously, Worry, fear._

Shadow blinked overwhelmed looking at the strange shapes. A large green blur recognizable as the human animal of a Peacock stood in Greed, a small silver ball bounced around in amusement. A dark green/grey snake hung for Pity.

It was a lot to take in….

But high above it all, there were fine misty tendrils of what seemed like smoke swiftly and carefully inching past the barrier high above, a few dark emotions fluttered around it.

A black hawk of Annoyance, shrieked as the mist lightly touched it, the hawk crumpled, burning in black fire before a little fledgling tried to fly with its weak but cute wings.

"Maria…" Shadow whispered, smiling slightly and Joy rose to its feet, purring at its sudden strength

_"Ah, your friend is strong to attack us; she is wise to ease in unlike the red Echidna…"_

A wave of annoyance and Shadow growled.

The little fledgling peeped in glee at its slight power.

_"You can't feel anything if you think you can take me on."_

Shadow bit his lip, slowly backing up towards the cage that held Joy. Revenge didn't notice this but licked his fangs and let his eyes burn through Shadow's heart.

Shadow's fingers collided with the bars; he slowly grasped the lock that held Joy inside, and slowly twisted the lock, breaking its chain with silent tension.

_"You can't harm me Shadow; you can't kill me without killing yourself…"_

"Don't worry about that." Shadow spat, Revenge raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to be doing the killing."

The lock broke and Joy jumped out, snarling like the mad tiger she was. Shadow backed away, grabbing onto the next lock and swiftly breaking it, sparing only once glance towards the name.

_Brave_. Oh, now Revenge would get a handful with _this_ one.

A blue blur, similar to Sonic's fur color, darted out of the cage quickly; the strange winged newt like thing lunged again, diving in without care for harming itself.

_"What? You try to use the weak against me!"_ Revenge screeched and tried to flap away, but his left wing was brutally torn by Tiger claws.

Shadow smirked and walked to another, hacking open the doors with a chaos Spear.

A purple swan dove into the fight gracefully, swirling in a fashion that would make figure skaters gasp. Shadow shook his head, sparing a glance at the tag and snorting.

_Grace._

He only needed to get to Maria's tendrils, and then he would be fine…

He turned; looking for anything that could hold him up towards the strands….something strong and positive…

A large flying monster stood, a snake with wings….it was a lovely shade of…pink…

If Sonic saw this…he would _never _let him live it down.

_"Hello shadow, I am Content."_ Shadow blinked surprised that the snake could speak, or the fact that the Snake didn't speak in hisses.

"How are you so big?" Shadow said bluntly the Snake blinked and with a swing of its tail, sliced the bars clean off.

_"You've always been Content; it was in your programming."_

"Figures." Shadow muttered and the Snake slithered out, putting down its feathery wings.

"Why were you in a cage if you could get out whenever you felt like it?"

_"I was content inside the c-"_

"I get it." Shadow shut up his emotion and at once the beast roared and shot into the air, right towards the strands.

_"Oh no you don't!"_ Revenge screeched, snapping his wings out and ignoring the pain.

Shadow grabbed onto Maria's strand and smiled at the feelings that rushed through his body….before he was yanked away.

Revenge looked like he went through Hell and back, blood and flesh were missing, part of his leg had bone sticking out. How did only three emotions do t- oh.

Grace had figured out how to open locks. Now around twenty paced far below. Little Fox cub Timid next to jumping Cheetahs Hyper and energetic.

_"Shadow!"_ Content roared, swooping back to attack Revenge who just smirked and threw Shadow with unimaginable force to his right.

Right into his core of Chaos Energy.

***********************8

Maria gasped, the walls of black Revenge were recoiled, swarming back into Shadow, but she hadn't reached in and found him yet….that meant one thing….

Shadow was fighting him.

The group, excluding Mephiles, gasped as the black recoiled; only Shadow stood his eyes still bottomless voids and occasionally his hands would twitch.

Maria stood in front of him, her white strands swirling around her often. She blinked and smiled to the group up above, giving a slight nod to them that it was safe for them to dismount.

The group hesitantly got down below to where Shadow was. Rouge carried Blaze, and Sonic just jumped. Silver lifted himself and Knuckles took Amy and so forth. Eventually all stood wary of Shadow's actions.

"He's in a trance or something, I'm in his mind and boy does he have a lot of negative emotions."

Maria winced as she felt something else mindlessly touch her.

_"He is most likely fighting the emotion of Revenge that he released."_

"Don't you mean_ you_ released?" Rouge snarled back and Mephiles landed in his crystal form with his eyes narrowed.

_"I was not aware of the internal war going on between his emotions; tell me, dear Bat, why must Shadow be like that?"_

It was Rouge's turn to wince at the insult and suddenly Maria burst out laughing severely, collapsing to the floor.

"Maria?" Sonic asked unsure of why she found this situation funny.

"S-Sorry…It's just that…" She giggled again and sniffled with a large grin.

"I'm feeling his emotions; you should have heard the emotion Heroic." She snorted again and Sonic burst out, slowly everybody understood and was grinning, imagining Shadow acting like Sonic.

Shadow suddenly twitched and Amy looked over gasping.

"Guys!" She yelped, everybody looked and watched as Shadow jerked, eyes widening the air around him crackling.

Maria frowned and even more misty white lines circled them.

"Something's not right." She said after a while and Rouge looked around worried. Mephiles turned to mist again and circled around Shadow, for a moment submerging him in darkness before reappearing.

_"His core has been damaged. Revenge must have somehow harmed it."_

"His…core?" Silver asked and Maria frowned.

"Grandpa said Shadow was made of Chaos Energy, so his core is energy…..how do you harm energy?"

Tails suddenly jumped to his feet.

"It's like a motor! A running motor, but if it's damaged it just wouldn't run right…"

_"Does it occur to you, mortals, which something might have been thrown into this 'motor?"_

Eggman sweat dropped as did Tails.

"But….that would make the motor explode…."

Just then Sonic and Silver groaned, dropping to their knees as a strange rush overcame them. Knuckles felt it to.

_"I believe this would be appropriate to use the term 'oh crap'"_

* * *

**Hey! The story's comming to an end. If you don;t understand anything i'll go over it in the next Chapter!**

**Please reveiw, i have so little! I mean, the Percy Jackson people reveiw more! We want to beat them right! Come on reviewers :D**

**I wanted to baise the animals (Emotions) on figures of what might have been added into shadow to get his power and genetics on the ARK. Revenge is like a mix of Black Doom and Shadow, thats about the best i can give.**

**Have a nice day! ~Oceanbreeze7**


	29. A foe's goodbye

"It's all over now."

Shadow spazzed, screaming as raw power overcame him, Revenge howled as the pure Chaos Energy of his core grew, fueling his emotions even more.

Pride, the great leopardess lunged, pinning Revenge to the ground, and sinking her teeth deep into his throat. Revenge shook, trying to get it off of him, but it was useless.

Another, a rhino known as Power charged, stabbing Revenge and ripping him apart.

Shadow looked away, but realized something was wrong, this was physically himself inside his core, that would bring his core outside to effect his body and-

Oh crap.

* * *

Maria shielded herself as a bright light glowed, blocking out Shadows form altogether but keeping the others in distance.

Maria felt power, pure raw power seep into her flesh, but she didn't want it, this was Shadow's power, wouldn't this be stealing?

Silver groaned, dropping to his knees, his core was reacting to Shadows, being drawn out also, Blaze had the same feeling. It was slightly different because of the Sol Emeralds but still all of the same.

Knuckles dropped, then Rouge, then finally Amy. Yet Sonic was still standing. He faced the bright light that was Shadow and took a step.

He shouted in surprise as power beyond power rushed into him. More than in his super form, more than he had ever felt before.

He watched in fascination as a blue light seeped through his skin and spread, running over his fur like a current. With a fast pace, much like Sonic himself, he changed much like his Super form.

His fur remained the normal blue, but it spread over his belly, turning the original tan to his natural. He blinked and his eyes became slightly cat like, he could see farther, see movement better. His quills hardened, not moving at all in the breeze, a few on his back grew even longer and two spines emerged from the back of his calf, helping him to run even faster.

A loud crack made him wince as his Tibia and Fibia snapped, bending backwards into another joint to gain even more speed as he ran, like a giant dinosaur.

Two more spines sprouted from his fur, one just above the elbow, and the other was directly between the wrist and elbow.

Sonic yelped as he was forced onto the balls of his feet, his heel flattening and extending upwards like a cat's, but giving him even _more_ speed.

Sonic groaned, looking down at his stiff and strange form, he cautiously looked over at Silver and gasped.

Silver's quills had grown longer, shedding the fur and resembling bone. Six spines of each arm sprouted from his fur, one of his wrist, middle, elbow, middle, and then shoulder once again repeated on the opposite side. More spines sprouted from the back of his legs and the blue symbols normally on his gloves seemed to be carved into his flesh with pure white bone.

Blaze was a different story.

Her tail had split into two parts, both wiggling around like the normal did. Her ponytail was gone, letting her fur drift around her neck. On her arms six jewels seemed imbedded on her flesh, three on each. Finally one was imbedded on her forehead.

Not to mention the fact that blue and orange flames twirled around her body.

The three gasped and looked over their changes, not to mention the strange auras that swirled around their bodies.

Tails yelped as did Knuckles. Rouge just flinched

Knuckles body quickly darkened to almost black, his dreadlocks curling outwards and sharpening. His spike on his knuckles seemed to multiply until four easily set, extending out more until they seemed to be strange blades. Similar blades worked out of his joint, making his have a very frightening appearance.

Tails' leg joints had broken, causing him to drop onto four legs as his arms had lengthened. Short stubby claws protruded from his fingers and toes, digging into the ground slightly. Something in his neck snapped, letting him look upwards with ease, but he gasped as his fur started to lighten to a cream with slight ruby tints in areas. His two tails split into four, turning darker and softer in color.

All in all, he looked slightly like a strange, but very fast Fox.

Rouge watched as her ears pointed a little more and her wings grew larger, allowing her to fly longer. Her tail grew longer also, and strange hooks like nails came from her nails.

Amy closed her eyes and expecting the worse, but she sighed in relief as little pink spines sprouted from her back, webbing in-between and a little stub of a scythe came from her tail tip.

"What….What just happened?" Sonic asked, noting his stronger and faster legs and their slight dinosaur look.

"My guess is this is what the Chaos Energy wanted to enhance. So now we should excel in our best skills to make us even better." Knuckles tired to explain.

Tails shrugged, doubting that his new 'tails' could actually lift him up. Knuckles could fight better though, Blaze could with no doubt shoot fire better, Sonic could run faster, maybe the spines would help Silver distribute his power or something.

"What about Shadow?" Amy asked, looking towards the ball of light, but she spun, suddenly looking at the quivering mass of black tar like substance.

"Guys?" She squeaked. Tails tried to walk on his hind legs but only fell, so he trotted slowly over on four legs.

The ball of black tar clung to the ground, flinching so often.

"Mephiles?" Tails' voice rose in the end, making it sound like a question.

_"I can't take it…."_ Mephiles strained to speak, his body trembled again. Knuckles caught on first.

"You don't have a core do you?"

Everybody turned to look at him as he simply stared at Mephiles with his dark body.

"You feed on an energy source, but don't truly have one. When shadow forced us to revert into our core….You're dying."

Mephiles flinched again, trying to rise but fell back into tar, not strong enough to hold a form.

_"Blaze…."_ Mephiles gurgled slightly, as if speaking through blood. Blaze hesitantly walked forward, the blue and orange flames lit up the pool by her feet. The tar somehow rose very faintly, but grew taller until it was an outline of Mephiles's true form.

_"….goodbye….Iblis…"_

Mephiles groaned and Blaze gasped, watching as Mephiles dropped back to the tar, thinning until it lay limp. Slowly it seemed that the reddish bits of her flame were reaching out towards the puddle, mourning as Mephiles faded and laid there, his carcass glinting slightly.

Iblis died down, nothing without his counterpart. Very slowly, the red bits of flame died down, growing smaller, before turning a sickly grey, then white, then nothing…

Blaze felt something leave her mind, the strange presser that always tried to make her do the wrong thing, but now….it was gone.

"Blaze?" Tails broke the silence, pawing at her with one of his cute paws; she shook her head and looked down at the pile with a little frown.

"He's gone." She simply said, Sonic nodded and bowed his head.

"This is just like Mecha, was a foe, but in the end saved my life." Sonic's voice was empty but a loud shriek caused the group to look back over.

From the glowing white form of Shadow and Maria a thick black shadow was forced out, spitting and recoiling as it was thrown roughly into the side of a still standing building.

Slowly, the light died down and nothing really was different from Maria as she was human and not a user of Chaos.

Shadow seemed not even touched except for a few things; his fur was back to normal, as were his eyes and aura. He was leaned into Maria, shaking from how he _could_ be crying.

"Shadow!" Sonic shouted and Shadow snapped his, you called it, tear stained muzzle upwards. His eyes were glassy and sadden, as if he couldn't just believe what had happened.

His eyes widened slightly as he looked at Sonic's new form, but Sonic didn't really seem to care.

"You're alive!" Silver exclaimed in slight shock, and slowly, not to mention wobbly, Shadow got to his feet, looking around.

"Where's Mephiles." He demanded quietly, voice shaky and still slightly terrified. Nobody dare ruin the silence so Shadow assumed the worse.

"Where's Revenge." He asked again, this time Tails took a step…..paw step forward.

"Revenge?"

"A demon…..a black demon." Shadow tried to explain and Amy immediately looked over towards the black bundle quivering on the building. Shadow blanched.

"Oh no." He groaned taking a step back, built quickly Revenge looked up, eyes glittering with hate.

The group gasped to see the demonic Shadow, but Shadow himself dropped into a fighting stance.

The demon slowly got to his feet, wings outstretched and for once, Amy noticed something.

"Hey Shadow, how come you aren't enhanced like the rest of us?" She piped up, and for once, the group witnessed a rare sight.

Shadow smiled.

"Oh, I changed alright."

With that, a strange grey and white thing moved, long and black with thick white seemingly fluff attacked snapped out, catching eyes of all around.

Knuckles was the first to realize what it was.

"Those are feathers!" He shouted, looking at the pure white innocent feathers strung to the black skin underneath. The symbol of innocence strapped to the back of Shadow. If a fight wasn't about to happen, Sonic would have laughed.

The demon-Shadow got to his feet, ignoring the ribbons that used to be his legs, or the large rips in his wings. He could still fly, and that was all that mattered.

_"Hello Shadow."_ Revenge hissed and Shadow growled. Crouching slightly.

"Revenge, although I must say, I'm surprised you were smart enough to escape by ramming into my core."

_"Sometimes the greatest escapes are the simplest things."_ Revenge hissed back, flapping his wings, Shadow mimicked him with his own wings.

Sonic and the others watched in awe as the two took flight, ramming and becoming a mess of black and white.

Inhuman screeched came from both of their mouths, piercing the night and all who stirred.

Maria bit her lip, finally deciding to cheer.

"Come on Shadow! You can do it!" She shouted, the others blinked but quickly joined in.

"Come on Faker!"

"Beat him Shadow!"

Shadow had heard this and smirked, clawing a large chunk out of Revenge's shoulder. Revenge hissed swiping, but Shadow retaliated with a kick, breaking something in his arm. Shadow trusted backwards, tucking in his wings and diving before suddenly spreading them, rushing up and slamming into Revenge with enough force to crumple the Tornado.

Revenge screamed and thrashed, but Shadow dove again, this time a red aura swirled around him as he landed, raising his hands towards Revenge's diving figure.

"Chaos…" He started, red and yellow energy gathering.

"LANCE!"  
Bright energy shot out, easily blasting through Revenge who screamed in agony before seeming to blow away in the wind, a giant ball of smoke, dead.

Shadow landed, eyes closed and very slowly the group watched as their aura's sunk back into their skin, changes reversing to their old form.

Slowly the wings glowed before sinking back into Shadows back, his head still facing down. Maria walked forward, lifting shadow's head up slightly.

"Shadow?" She asked softly, his eyes were glazed, almost dead…

"I was a monster." His tone was flat and it unnerved the group greatly.

"I killed people…..for no reason." He continued and with one graceful sweep Shadow was pulled into a hug, trembling until the tears started rushing, dripping down and breaking like crystal onto the ground.

"You aren't a monster Shads." Maria coed, rubbing circles between his back quills.

"Revenge is gone; you don't have to worry about him any longer." She whispered and eventually Shadow let go, not looking directly at her.

"I'm a murderer." He muttered and she frowned, pulling his chin up to look at her.

"You are _not_ a killer. GUN killed me, you were simply doing a noble deed, and that deed is done"

A small light returned to Shadows eye and he nodded, the group watched in awe as the single key to Shadow was opening the shell of his emotions.

"It's all over now."


	30. Everything must Eventually End

Shadow flinched slightly as a loud echoing _'thud!' _echoed over the silent hall_._

Local TV casts and news channels broadcasted the live event to the ones who couldn't come themselves. But nobody could blame them, not many people wanted to be around Shadow after the destruction of half the city and numerous lives.

The mobians sat behind in bench rows, all worried for Shadow who sat all alone just in front. He still hadn't snapped completely out of it, but it didn't matter here, he would only be answering questions anyway.

Due to Sonic's hero status, he had argued for Shadow's rights, and in the end, he got a good pick.

Shadow sat awaiting trial.

The judge, ironically the mayor, sat in his high seat, a thick wooden gabble in his hand as he hit it three times against the little pedestal.

_'Rap!...Rap!...Rap!'_

"Court is now in session." He spoke up over the slight murmuring of the city people.

"Your honor, Shadow the Hedgehog has been the cause of local destruction and mutable deaths dating back for two years, not to mention teaming up with Professor Ivo Robotnic and almost destroying the world two years ago."

A lower ranking GUN agent had offered to stand up against Shadow, he was the only one.

Poor guy.

The Mayor nodded, looking at the still dazed face of Shadow from recent events. Knuckles had assumed that his emotions were still chaotic and needed to find a substitute for the recently destroyed Revenge.

"We command that this Hedgehog be held on Prison Island for life due to the deeds he has committed."

The solder went on, some of the jury nodded, confirming his thoughts.

Shadow still said nothing.

Sonic winced slightly as the Mayor put on a thoughtful face before looking at the slightly numbed Shadow.

"Do you claim a witness to the stands?" The mayor asked and the GUN agent grinned slightly, before looking at the townsfolk.

"I call Sergeant Williams to the stands!"

A timid man walked up, a little worried. Sonic recognized him, as did shadow but he made no move to show he recognized him. It was the man he attacked as a Demon-Wolf, the only one that survived inside the tank.

He sat next to the judge in the questioning seat, looking nervous but exhaled and waited for all questions.

"After the Demon-Wolves as named by local hero Sonic, attacked and you looked out, you saw our hero Sonic, am I correct?"

Sergeant William nodded smiling sadly, but the GUN agent didn't stop.

"Among the wreckage, did you, or did you not see Shadow the Hedgehog?"

Sergeant Williams winced but faced up, looking at the awaiting broadcasting system and townsfolk.

"I did see him."

"Did he make anymore to attack our hero's?"

"He….I think he made a threat…..then Sonic sent away the Emeralds….."

He whispered and Sonic winced, Shadow blinked ever so slowly, nothing fazed him.

"Later, were you among the rank brought in to defeat the monster outbreak?"

"I-I was."

_Oh crap, this isn't good. Sonic thought bitterly, Amy clutched his hand and he sent a reassuring smile, hoping for all he knew that he could make it through._

"Did you or did you not see Shadow destroying local buildings?"

"He….He commanded these….monsters…..they attacked us….." The Sergeant whimpered looking down; the GUN agent nodded a satisfied smile on his face.

"That is all."

Muttering broke out over the courtroom, dirty looks were shot out at Shadow who was still slightly stunned, but slowly he was recovering himself.

He lacked dark emotions, but just looking at that man….the twisted glee he got while looking at a suffering creature was enough for his emotion of hate to grow, for his emotions to balance out.

The mayor nodded before looking out at the jury.

"Has the jury come to a d-"

"Doesn't he get a chance to defend himself?" Cream asked slightly mad from her seat. Eyes huge with big ears that made anybody stop and think.

"Uhhh…." The mayor was slightly surprised but blinked twice.

"Well….the defendant is not in the position to defend himself so-"

"That is not true." Shadow spoke for one of the first times since the accident. A small smile came onto Shadows face.

The judge blinked, surprised at the not frightening or chilling tone Shadow used, but the plain monotone of it. The GUN agent was mad, he had records of Shadow being stunned, not him operational.

"Your honor, I'm sure the experiment isn't suited to d-"

Shadow turned very slowly, crimson eyes narrowing and the agent stopped moving and just stared.

"My name is Shadow, not experiment."

Once again the agent was silent. Shadow looked forward, eyes closed and fists clenched.

The judge knocked his gavel once more and the courtroom was silent.

"Shadow, have you committed these claims?"

Shadow looked up, a strange ruby glint to his eye

"I have."

No hesitation whatsoever. The old Shadow was coming back. The judge seemed slightly shocked but blinked and nodded.

"Do you admit the killing of GUN officers?"

"I do."

"Do you admit the destruction of the town?"

"…Partially."

The jury was in a mumble of words, Sonic was frowning, and Shadow was ruining his chance…

The judge was frowning, how could Shadow defend himself?

"If you have nothing to defend yourself with, I will move onto the final vote."

"Oh, I have something to say." Shadow said quietly, the room looked at him once more. The mayor was getting board with Shadows twisted ways.  
"Oh?" the mayor asked, eyebrows raised. Shadow blinked slowly, looking deep into the mayor's eyes.

"I admitted to the acts, but never admitted to my free will in committing these acts."

The court room was silent until the GUN agent burst out laughing.

"You expect us to believe mind control?" He snorted out loudly and Sonic's smile fell. Shadow said nothing but blinked twice.

"I believe that my hatred was misdirected to attack GUN." Shadow simply said, leaving more questions than answers. He closed his eyes at ease then; the GUN agent didn't really know what to say.

Finally, the GUN agent knew what to do.

"Your honor, I request Sonic the Hedgehog to the stands."

Sonic was surprised but got up and walked towards the questioning booth, not really knowing what to expect. The GUN agent had a huge smile on his face.

"Sonic the Hedgehog, did Shadow attack you in the past?"

Sonic blinked, quickly thinking on his toes of how to turn this in Shadow's favor.

"Well sure, everybody attacks me. In fact, in the past I remember GUN attacking me…."

The GUN agent frowned but quickly tried to control the situation.

"Sonic, in the past I remember you attacking a rank of GUN military troops, why is that?" Sonic leaned back, totally at ease.

"Oh, because your men were shooting at me with guns, and only knocked them out, no fatalities." Sonic grinned.

The crowd was wavering, even some in the jury weren't sure anymore.

The GUN agent was getting angry, for no reason he spun, pointing directly at Shadow.

"Shadow the Hedgehog! Why have you attacked military personal in the past?" He shouted, Shadow blinked and leaned back. Easily hanging onto what Sonic had put out.

"Simple, I say around….eh, three reasons. The first, you guys locked me up for fifty years and conducted highly illegal tests on me, two, you won't leave me alone with those big guns of yours, and finally, for Revenge."

More whispers, eyes were now on the GUN argent who was fuming purple.

"Revenge?" He shrieked and Shadows eyes flashed.

"The killing of a thousand for a simple 'weapon' that was actually a cure for a disease."

The argent laughed, actually dared to laugh in front of Shadow. Shadow shook slightly in his anger but controlled himself quickly.

"You expect us to believe that GUN killed a thousand to get a stupid weapon?" He snorted a cocky grin on his face. Shadow blinked slowly and turned towards the judge.

"I have a piece of evidence to claim. May I call Rouge the Bat to the stands?"

Sonic left, passing a thumbs up and Rouge took his spot with a small tape in her pocket. She never let go of it now.

"So agent Rouge, you believe in this 'weapon?'" The agent asked, still cocky, Rouge snorted and took out a disk, setting it on the table.

"Strange isn't it, that you've never heard of Project: Shadow."

The agent sweat dropped, eyes widening as he looking over at the now slightly pissed Shadow.

"All the evidence that Shadow was the cure is right _heeeerrreeeeee!" Rouge sang, waving around the disk that a nearby officer easily took and set inside a nearby TV._

"Uh huh, the little date will be 4-16-53." Rouge noted and the security officer nodded, zooming to that stage.

_"How are his vitals?"_

_"All clear."_

_"Blood pressure?"_

_"All good!"_

_"Perfect! Now to change his immunity over to Maria…."_

The tape stopped as Rouge hit a little remote, grinning at the muttering court house.

"Please go to 7-12-57." Rouge grinned and Shadow smiled slightly as he spotted another picture.

_Shadow and Maria were walking around, doing bad imitations of spies. Rolling around and hiding behind stuff. Maria giggled as Shadow slipped on the slippery floor and slid into the open._

_"Nice one shads!" Maria bubbled and Shadow quickly scrambled back over, only falling on his belly this time._

_"Hey, you try walking on this stuff without shoes!" Shadow giggled back, crawling back together…._

"That is the example of how Shadow is a leaving being, not an experiment." Rouge continued. By now a few little smiles were on faces, but Rouge sent a sad look towards Shadow.

"Please turn to the last recording on the tape."

Shadow flinched largely. Many gave him confused looks, but he closed his eyes, looking down as the screaming and the gun shots filled his ears. Then the splattering, and finally his cries. His cries of Maria before it all went silent.

"That's my claim on why GUN wants Shadow….to use as a weapon of mass destruction….willing to kill innocent twelve year old girls just to get to the prize."

Rouge growled, slowly getting back towards her seat.

The judge was interested now; he looked down at Shadow, sadness on his face.

"Does the defendant have any more evidence to claim?"

Shadow looked in the corner of the room as Tails scrambled up towards the table with his computer.

"In this vile, is the darkest substance known to man."

Tails held up a tiny beaker, only five sticky black drops were inside but Shadow could already tell what it was.

"The old myth of Solaris was biased off of a monster split into two beings. The one being, Iblis the fire demon, was stored in a breathing human. The second being, Mephiles the shadow Demon, was trapped inside a scepter."

Tails continued, a few people showed confused faces, not understanding how this fit in.

"Mephiles and Iblis had the characteristics of a god, split into two beings. Iblis had the power, but Mephiles had the brains. Able to trick any being to turn against one another. He could travel through dimensions and split his bodies, melt into shadows, and mold with darkness…"

"How is this important to us?" The judge interrupted and the Kitsune smiled looking at Shadow.

"Because not that long ago the scepter was discovered, and broken, its essence melting into Shadow. Only in the finally battle was Shadow able to overcome Mephiles and end the battle."

The courtroom lit up with understanding. Even some of the oldest people had heard of the tale, it made sense and explained the demon monsters.

"Excuse me, Shadow, but how is it that you look so young when the….accident was fifty years ago?"

Shadow glared at the GUN agent who looked practically beaten.

"GUN practically tortured me by stuffing me in a freeze chamber."

Okay, the jury was just plainly pissed at GUN now.

The judge nodded looking around, Shadow seemed content.

"Has the jury reached a conclusion?"

"We have your honor." A man with curly black hair stood, holding the round up of notes.

"We find Shadow the Hedgehog free of all charges. We however, demand a full investigation and removal of the government funded military known as GUN."

The GUN agent had his jaw dropped, his eyes were on fire as he turned to Shadow, pure hate boiling n his eyes.

"You'll pay for this Hedgehog." He growled and shadow got to his feet, his fists clenched together.

"Revenge will get you nowhere. Besides."

Shadow turned, his eyes narrowing slightly at the agent.

"You wouldn't be able to harm me, if you can't touch me."

Shadow was gone, free of charges as he ran through the streets. Now people who had seen the broadcast waved and smiled. Shadow did nothing, but continued running, he would be back. He always was.

* * *

Shadow stood in the central park; it had been rebuilt and was filled with memorials for all the things that had gone on in the past.

Maria stood next to him, a blue shawl around her frame as she avoided the cold small falling snow flakes. It was midnight, the city was silent but the lights were still on, casting light on the statues.

A Plexiglas statue filled with clear sparkling water that never froze, gleamed slightly from its perch above the snow bank. A memorial to Sonic for saving the city from Chaos.

A little platinum base made up of little platinum bands holding up a silver ball representing the world. A memorial to Shadow and Sonic for saving the world from the falling ARK and Biolizard.

Finally, the strange centerpiece Shadow and Maria were looking at. A strange monument, deep purple rods slightly like spaghetti strands intertwined and separated in no fashion whatsoever. It gleamed black and purple at times, and to add more of an effect, black liquid like oil was filled inside the hollow strands. Genetically enhanced orange fire flickered ominously. It was thin, and provided no heat, therefore no burning. A safe restrained Iblis under a reaching Mephiles.

It was the monument of Shadow, created for when Shadow stopped his darkness.

"He did the right thing in the end." Maria said, holding the almost blank Shadow. He smiled softly, looking at the statue once again.

"He twisted me, he manipulated me, but in the end he saved me." Shadow whispered, it seemed like the black strands shinned even more.

"He just wanted to avenge the death of his friend, kinda like you Shads." Maria smiled and Shadow smiled, lightly running his fingers along the cool tubes.

"Yes….A lot like me." Shadow muttered, looking up as the clock tower struck its ominous tone that rang out across the sleeping city. It repeated, alerting all who roamed of the date, and time.

"Merry Christmas Mephiles." Maria smiled, Shadow nodded, and Maria set down a box she had taken with her, decorated with a light blue paper.

Shadow looked over with his head tilted, wondering what it could be. A present? A paper, who would know…

Maria removed the lid, pulling out a large crystal diamond. Very similar to a Chaos Emerald, but on the inside a small black ink like substance rested, wiggling occasionally.

"Shadow, could you put this on the top for me?" Maria asked, holding out the strange gem. Shadow took it and easily leaped up the reaching strands, putting the gem on the highest one, letting it rest in a small but secure perch that seemed to be built in.

As Shadow turned to jump down, he noticed something with the black goo in the crystal. It wiggled ever so slightly, twisting and trying to form something.

Shadow gasped softly as it curled in, and fattened, turning into the perfect shape of a small feather.

Shaking it off, he jumped down, looking up at the monument with a small smile.

"It sure is amazing isn't it?" Maria asked Shadow who shrugged. Maria ran her fingers on the tube, letting her heat be absorbed into the glass.

"I hope you're with Iblis, wherever you are." She whispered, turning away with Shadow. They slowly walked away, leaving behind them the small footprints of a girl and a hedgehog. Walking out of the snow and darkness.

They however, did not see the small red and orange speck that seemed to glow in the black ink for a moment.

The bell tower chimed again, before even the lights went out. It was night, it was peace.

It was the end.

* * *

**That's the end to my first Sonic Fanfiction. I actually dont even know why i wrote it, i just felt like it one day...**

**I'm sorry for the ending, i'm really bad with closing off the story.**

**I want to thank you guys for reading! even though the story's done, could you please review? Maybe?**

**I'm going to miss this thing...See you all. Have a good April.**

**~Oceanbreeze7**


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